Yesterday the remodeled Beira Rio in Porto Alegre which will host 5 World Cup matches was reopened after two years of work. Inter, the owners of the stadium, organized an olympic style opening showing the clubs history through the years that the stadium was first built in 1969. In the 1970's Inter had overall the best team of the decade winning the Brazilian Championship 3 times and undefeated in 79. The leader of all that was legend paulo Roberto Falcão...the same guy that in the 80's would become a legend with Roma. During the part of the show that highlighted the 1970's and an iconic goal that Falcão scored on incredible back and forth headers with Dario (aka legendary Rei Dada) and the Late Escurinho, Falcão suddenly appeared in full uniform in midfield...great great moment! He was moved to tears...
For those that may be wet behind the ears and not know who Falcão is...here are his highlights at Inter, Roma and Seleção. One of the greatest players of all time.
Arguably the second best player of WC82 after Rossi. The image of his celebration after scoring the tentative 2-2 against Italy is unforgettable, he seemed as though in a trance.
Yes Falcao indeed won Silverball *2nd best player at WC82. Rummenigge was a bit more lucky to beat ZICO in 3rd place (Bronze ball) for Germnay team in the final.
And he should have been at the 78 world cup as he was already a full blown star in brazil since 1975. Winning the brasileirao in 75 and 76 with inter (later repeating and undefeated in 79). Brazilian coaches choice of chicao over falcao in 78 was probably the baddest non callup in world cup history and it only happened because of the prejudice then and even in a way today of players outside of sao paulo and rio. Not as bad now but back then if you didnt play in rio or sao paulo you were less likely to be called up. Falcao could have made the difference in 78. He was 25 in 78 near a players peak. Ps. You can see that 82 style goal celebration happen twice in one game in the 1979 semi final of the brasileirao between inter x palmeiras. In that game Inter was losing 1x2 when falcao scored twice. In both goals he celebrated like a mad man. The second goal was especially unique as he had to pull his leg back in mid air to avoid schocking it against he defenders cleats. The defender mococa was portrayed by sao paulo newspapers as the man to stop falcao. The infamous headline in game day at a sp paper was "mococa or falcao?" After the game one paper answered "FALCÃO". Here are the highlights of that match including his celebration. Note the score on the title is incorrect the game ended 3x2.
Blame on the coach ... even the greatest talent (since Pele) Zico was still a BENCH SUB player in 78, so forget of Falcao.
Well with the difference that in 78 zico hadnt won anything yet above state championship and falcao was already a two time brazilian champ on his way to a third.
Paulo roberto falcao is one of my all time favourite players.. Its unbelievable that coutinho didnt select him for world cup 78.. Falcao didnt actually play that many games for brazil ( less than 30 caps if i remember right ).. I remember for roma he scored one of the best left footed volleys i ve ever seen but i cant remember who it was against ! ?... Sven goran eriksson named falcao as the best he ever coached.. Brazilian flair- italian organisation and german workrate !! He had the lot ..
Had he won the WC, we would be talking about him on par with Didi and Gerson. In terms of talent, Falcao was their equal, but not winning anything with Brazil diminishes his all-time status. @giles varley
yes , its a shame falcao and that 1982 team never won anything..but anyone who knows their football will put falcao and his generation of brazilian players alongside the greats.. What a legend - the best receding curly mullet hairstyle ever !
Falcao was a bit underrated since he was "under the shadow" of Zico and socrates in Brazil NT. at club level, he was "GOD" of Roma , but at time Roma was always a so-so club in quality and small in "size" (compared to other big clubs in the world)
Roma was a great club in the 80s, reaching the EC final once, winning the Scudetto and Coppa Italia a couple of times. I also don't think Falcao was in the shadow of Socrates, they were equals only behind Zico, the biggest star.
you're right that Falcao was not inferior to Socrates but since Socrates was the captain and main CM/playmaker of the team so ... Falcao was a bit under the spot light. But he did great to overcome Socrates (and arguably Zico) at WC82 performance
falcao was hardly in the brazilian team before the world cup because he was playing in italy.. But he was player of the year in brazil in 1978 and 1979 i think.. The reason he was below zico and socrates in popularity was simply because he hadnt been a regular for the selecao... Did you know the first time cerezo falcao zico and socrates played together was in the scotland match at espana 82
not really, everyone knew Zico was the best player and most talented player in that "dream team". Falcao was surely inferior .... Socrates was more "popular" becuase he was a "captain" and his great personality earning him respect (as a doctor). NOt for that, Zico would be the main playmaker and also a captain for Brazil NT of 80s.
Oufff ... forgot about your question, you're right Falcao played with Zico and co in 1982. when he was on call for DUTY, one month before WC82 started. This is his very first game (friendly) 545 - BRASIL 1x1 SUÍÇA (Brazil 1x1 Switzerland) Data (Date): 19-05-1982 Tipo (Class): oficial (official) (445) Competição (Competition): amistoso (friendly) Local (Venue): Estádio Colosso do Arruda Cidade (City): Recife (Brasil/Brazil) Árbitro (Referee): José Roberto Wright (Brasil/Brazil) Brasil (Brazil): (entre colchetes o time a que o jogador pertence/between brackets the team to which the player belongs) 1 - Waldir Peres [São Paulo] (21 / 24) 2 - Leandro [Flamengo] (4 / 5) (13 - Edevaldo) [Internacional] (17 / 17) 3 - Oscar [São Paulo] (34 / 42) 4 - Luizinho [Atlético-MG] (23 / 25) 6 - Júnior I [Flamengo] (33 / 37) 15 - Falcão [Roma] (15 / 21) 7 - Paulo Isidoro [Grêmio] (26 / 31) 8 - Sócrates [Corinthians] - cap (32 / 35) (5 - Toninho Cerezo) [Atlético-MG] (47 / 63) 10 - Zico [Flamengo] (54 / 70) 20 - Careca I [Guarani] (3 / 3) (9 - Serginho I) [São Paulo] (14 / 16) 11 - Éder [Atlético-MG] (23 / 24) Técnico (Coach): Telê Santana (29 / 32) Suíça (Switzerland): Erich Burgener, Giampietro Zappa, Heinz Lüdi, André Egli, Heinz Hermann - Roger Wehrli, René Botteron (Lucien Favre), Umberto Barberis - Erni Maissen (Alfred Scheiwiler), Claudio Sulser, Rüdi Elsener (Jean-Paul Brigger). Técnico (Coach): Paul Wolfisberg Gols (Goals): Zico (37 / 55), Claudio Sulser
I wouldn't say Falcao was surely inferior, after all Falcao won the Silver Ball at WC82 and it is very difficult for center mids to be in the top three. Zico was the main star, but Falcao and Socrates are in their own right legends.
As a Brazilian let me repeat, the only reason Falcão wasntbat the 78 world cup and the only reason he was second fiddle to socrates or zico was the fact that Falcão played for a team OUTSIDE RIO OR SAO PAULO which was Internacional. Brazilian media and national team coaches especially back then favored anyone from rio or sp before anyone from outside those two cities. This is a fact and still happens today to a lesser extent. If falcao was from flamengo, vasco, corinthians etc he would have been at the 78 wc and would be as popular as socrates zico. There is no doubt about this. There is a big bias in brazil of the countries main stream media which pushes whatever they want. As far as socrates he was great but didnt compare to falcao. Not even close. Zico was indeed extremely taltented but zico played more advanced than falcao and no defense. Falcao did what he did all while coming back to defend. Also in Europe falcao faired wayyy better than both socrates and zico combined. If you havent watched falcaos highlight real please do. The goal in 76 where he heads it back and forth with escurinho was not only one of the most magical goals ever scored in soccer, it was a clutch last minute game wining goal to put inter through to the final against corinthians which Inter would go on to win also. The score was one one and atletick mineiro was going through when in a last minute "hail mary" inter defender figueroa kicks it upfield, Darios first touches it in mid air to escurinho which heads it to falcao, falcao heads it back to escurinho and takes off torwards the goal. Escurinho sees this and heads it to falcao in the penalty box and falcao finishes it. Inter wins and are in the finals. Clutch clutch amazing. This was btw a set play that everyone said would never work. Watch and watch the replay for the full view.
Also some of you stating that zico was superior to falcao. I love zico but he was more attacking than falcao. But look at brazils Golden Ball (best player of the year) results year to year until falcao left Brazil in 1979. Falcao won the Golden Ball twice, once in 78 and again in 79. Zico won once in 74 when his carrer was starting. The silver ball which is for best player by position Falcao won 3 times in the same years and zico also 3. So yeah zico was better at free kicks , he was more of a #10, and many times more flashy. But falcao was classy, won the trophies and had his own flashyness when needed.
Wrong. Zico won 3x times best South American player #1 and 2 times as #2 and #3 as most winner Maradona won 1 as #1 and 1 as #2 and 1 #3 (but he left SA a bit early at 23) Falcao never won #1, but 1 #2 and 1 #3 They did NOT qualify for Ballon Dor ... back then
the first time that cerezo falcao socrates and zico played together in midfield was the scotland game.. I aint lying !!