“Other countries have their history, Uruguay has its football,” Ondino Viera, Uruguay’s manager at the 1966 World Cup, said. Football is more than a game for Uruguay, who are the least populous nation in the semifinal mix.
“We have 3.5 million people and 10 million cows. But our football team has filled us with pride here,” said a Uruguayan fan.
The tiny South American nation has a rich football history, with two Olympic and World Cup titles in the cupboard. Besides winning the inaugural edition at their own backyard in 1930 and crushing Brazilian hopes in the final at the Maracana 20 years later, Uruguay finished fourth in 1954 and 1970.
The Asian Age takes a trip down memory lane to recapture Uruguay’s high points in World Cup history.
1930 World Cup: Uruguay, who had won the Olympic titles in 1924 and 1928, got the honour of hosting the inaugural World Cup after they agreed to foot the expenses of all participating teams. In a memorable final at Montevideo, Uruguay fought back to beat Argentina 4-2 after being 1-2 down at the break. Hector Castro, the scorer of Uruguay’s fourth goal in the 89th minute, had lost an arm in a childhood accident.
1950 World Cup: Brazil needed only a draw at the Maracana to win their maiden title. The tournament had a four-team mini league to decide the winners instead of knockout rounds. Friaca put Brazil ahead in the 47th minute. But the Uruguayans weren’t ready to roll over. Inspired by Juan Schiaffano’s equaliser by the hour mark, Uruguay silenced the home fans by scoring the winner in the 79th minute through Alcides Ghiggia. The defeat left a lasting scare on Brazil’s psyche. Unable to digest the defeat, a handful Brazilian fans reportedly committed suicide. The epic win is celebrated in Uruguay even today. The jersey captain Obdulio Varela wore in 1950 is treated as a national treasure.