Host selection and venues Brazil applied to host the 1942 edition (just as Germany and Argentina), but the tournament was cancelled due to WWII. Some years after, In the 1946 FIFA Congress, Brazil’s new bid to host the IV World Cup, then called Jules Rimet Cup, was quickly accepted. The tournament took place in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July 1950, six cities were selected to host the matches: the then-Capital of Rio Janeiro (Maracaná stadium and eventually Sao Januario stadium), Sao Paulo (Pacaembu stadium), Belo Horizonte (Sete de Setembro stadium), Curitiba (Durival de Britto stadium), Porto Alegre (dos Eucaliptos stadium) and Recife (Ilha do Retiro stadium). Format The FIFA organizers proposed a format with 16 teams divided into four First round-robin groups of four teams. The better two teams of each group advancing to a two Second round-robin groups. The winners of these last groups will play the Final match to crown the World Champion and the second of each group the Consolation match for third place. Rules Systems allowed are Pyramid (2-3-5), WM (3-2-5) and their variants. The 1950 WC squads consists of the starting line-up and 4 subs (for teams expected reaching the Final stage). Managers can field the same XI, no more than two times. Every active player at that time (including injury/banned players), are available to be in his NT roster. Players level will be evaluated at his current form circa 1950 (I'm thinking in late bloomers of the 1950s or 1940s veterans). Oriundo/naturalized players cases will be determined by his last cap / active club at 1950. For each group teams were awarded 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. To qualified, in case of a tie on points, then the winner will be determine by goal average. Deadlines are 24 hours to field the team (after the schedule is posted) and then 24 hours to post the result (all managers except the contenders). To determine the winners, with the results posted, firstly we consider which one got more votes (Wins) and secondly averaging the goals scored/received. Draws are allowed only at Group Stages. Qualification and Drawing Every national team affiliated to FIFA was invited to compete, among the seeded teams expected to take part in this great event are: - Brazil as host nation - Italy as current world champion Other possible candidates includes: - Argentina, the NT with the highest ELO rating - England, current british champion - Hungary, current co-leader of the Dr. Gero Cup - Austria, current co-leader of the Dr. Gero Cup - Sweden, current Olympic gold medal - Spain - Scotland - Uruguay - Yugoslavia - Czechoslovakia - West Germany (depending the ban will be lifted) - Paraguay - Denmark - Perú - Wales - Switzerland - Portugal - Netherlands - Belgium - France - Chile - USA - Mexico - USSR - Etc. Finally, BigSoccer members are invited to apply as Managers registing his team. Only if the list is incompleted, a second team to managing will be accepted
The defending champion is the first country to enter the tournament. @La-Máquina and Vittorio Pozzo as comanagers are evaluating which players will make the italian roster.
Assigned Italy --- La-Máquina Argentina --- Perú FC Pre-assigned (2nd team) Yugoslavia --- La-Máquina
I was thinking I might sit out and just watch what happens (but I was definitely looking forward to following it after msioux notified me about the idea), but if it came to needing some final participants to go ahead I could give England and/or Hungary a go if you like. But if others actively want to take part, and take those nations, that's fine by me and I'll go back to being a spectator as intended. So put me down for a provisional first choice as well as provisional second choice if you want msioux, but you can make it clear the teams are still up for grabs if someone is enthusiastic about taking part with them. I'm thinking it wouldn't take too much time once the initial squad selection had occurred? And there wouldn't be really short deadlines, including overnight UK time? Those are the things which could make me re-think, but otherwise I'm happy to be a back-up selector as suggested. If for example Peterhrt wanted England plus a smaller nation too in the end, I'd suggest I could just take Hungary too, or vice versa even. '
Assigned Italy --- La-Máquina Argentina --- Perú FC Sweden --- Excape Goat Pre-assigned (2nd team) Yugoslavia --- La-Máquina England --- PDG1978 Hungary --- PDG1978 Note: Until we get at least 8 managers confirmed, only the assigned nations are locked selections.
I can do a second team if you cannot find another manager. Obviously, I want Brazil or Uruguay, but I am happy to take Spain with Zarra, Luis Molowny, Ramallets. etc. Czechoslovakia would be interesting, but very difficult. Kubala is eligible, but building a team to play with him would be beyond my ability. Scotland also had Billy Liddell. My second team: Spain. I am ready to take Brazil or Uruguay if no one takes them(this WC cannot go ahead without the winner and the second place team at the actual WC Finals.
Assigned Italy --- La-Máquina Argentina --- Perú FC Sweden --- Excape Goat Pre-assigned (2nd team) Yugoslavia --- La-Máquina England --- PDG1978 Hungary --- PDG1978 Spain --- Excape Goat Note: Only assigned team are locked. 6 managers are confirmed by now.
Nice, one more manager, then @peterhrt , @PDG1978 and I could select a country. I guess we can start this weekend. Assigned Italy --- La-Máquina Argentina --- Perú FC Sweden --- Excape Goat Uruguay --- tLB Odiseo
-- Manager ----- NT 1 ----- NT 2 La-Maquina ---- Italy -- Yugoslavia PDG1978 ---- England - Hungary Peru FC ----- Argentina ----- - ExcapeGoat - Sweden -- Spain tLBOdiseo ---- Uruguay ----- - peterhart ------- Austria -- Scotland msioux75 ------- Brazil -- De/Pe/Pa Pot 1: Brazil, Italy, Argentina, England Pot 2: Yugoslavia, Hungary, Sweden, Spain, Uruguay, Austria, Scotland, Denmark* *My 2nd team will be Denmark or a south american country, unless anyone wants to select them.
Some football legends were invited to make the drawing in this great event. Brazilian legend, Leonidas da Silva drew out the ball from the Pot 1. Former world cup champions, Giuseppe Meazza and Leandro Andrade drew out the ball from the Pot 2. Final Draw Group A: Brazil Spain Hungary Group B: England Uruguay Yugoslavia Group C: Argentina Denmark* Austria Group D: Italy Sweden Scotland
Venues, Referees and News Group A: Rio de Janeiro with stadiums Maracaná and Sao Januario hosted the matches from this group. The referees selected were Arthur Ellis (Eng) and Giovanni Galeati (Ita). Group B: Central and northern cities of Belho Horizonte and Recife hosted the matches from this group. The referees selected were Ivan Eklind (Swe) and Mario Vianna (Bra). Group C: Southern cities of Porto Alegre and Curitiba hosted the matches from this group. The referees selected were George Reader (Eng) and Karel van der Meer (Ned). Group D: Sao Paulo city hosted the matches from this group. The referees selected were Sandy Griffiths (Wal) and Mario Gardelli (Bra). The FIFA Commitee decided that winners from Group Stage will play a Final round-robin Group for the title. Finally, new teams entering the tournament will be grouped in Pot 3 for final drawing.
Some missing teams are: - Germany (generation in between war) - Czechoslovakia (having a good Dr. Gero Cup performance) - Portugal (Cinco violinos based) - Peruvian and paraguans stars playing in El Dorado. - The swiss Verrou. - A rising France - A third british team. - A solid chilean side. - USSR based in the team toured UK some years ago.
FAQ about selecting Squad: Taking as an example, Brazil a) Brazil's manager can select for the 1950 squad, only brazilian-born and naturalized brazilian players that were active players in 1950. b) Banned and injury players are available, too. An exceptional case could be asked to Commitee. c) If Brazil's manager called Nilson Santos in the brazilian roster. He will be evaluated in his form in the period 1949-1951. The same if calling players as Didi (youngster) or Heleno (veteran). d) The starting XI could be fielded in 2 games.
Yes, for Brazil and Denmark squads I've selected 14 players each (thinking in 6 matches) I'm not posting their rosters, until a last manager call is made, or most managers posted their squads and they're waiting for mine. When most NT rosters are posted, i can post the schedule of matches.
Ok, then I go with Argentina. Once I knew the conditions of the game my interest in Argentina became intense. After finishing the 1947 South American Championship until the beginning of the 1955 edition (7 years later) they just played a handful of friendly matches (they didn't participate in the 1949 and 1953 South American Championships nor in the 1950 World Cup) due to the problems caused by the strike of Argentine footballers, so for the period to judge (1949 to 1951) basically I had to put together a squad from nothing, without a defined contemporary base. What is fascinating is the huge universe of players them possessed at that moment (in my opinion, arguably the best in the world), nourished by several figures that maintained a high level of the very flowery 1940's decade for Argentine football and a large number that began to appear in the early 1950's, some of the Argentine League (especially of the three-time champion Racing Club) and others installed in Colombia during "El Dorado" (especially of Millonarios). Despite the extensive list of illustrious Argentine names that were active in 1950 I tried to concentrate on those who really had a great peak of performance between 1949 to 1951 to face this tournament and I've left out some who, although prestigious in a historical context, were already in some decline (as Carlos "Lucho" Sosa, Manuel Pelegrina or René Pontoni) or not yet transformed in the figures that would later become (as Pedro Dellacha or Héctor Rial (then international for Spain)). A special case is that of Rinaldo Martino. I understand that strictly under the rules I couldn't include him because his last cap was for Italy (the only one in 1949), although his situation is strange because by 1950 he returned to South America. Finally I decided not to fight for his case and trust the options that I have. My announced 16-man list: BASSO, Óscar (Inter Milan [ITA]) (28) BOYÉ, Mario (Racing Club [ARG]) (27) COLMAN, Juan Carlos (Boca Juniors [ARG]) (27) COZZI, Julio (Millonarios [COL]) (27) DI STÉFANO, Alfredo (Millonarios [COL]) (24) GARCÍA PÉREZ, José (Racing Club [ARG]) (28) GUTIÉRREZ, Ernesto (Racing Club [ARG]) (24) LOUSTAU, Félix (River Plate [ARG]) (27) MÉNDEZ, Norberto (Racing Club [ARG]) (27) MORENO, José Manuel (Boca Juniors [ARG]) (33) PEDERNERA, Adolfo (Millonarios [COL]) (31) PESCIA, Natalio (Boca Juniors [ARG]) (28) ROSSI, Néstor (Millonarios [COL]) (25) SIMES, Llamil (Racing Club [ARG]) (27) SUED, Ezra (Racing Club [ARG]) (27) YÁCONO, Norberto (River Plate [ARG]) (31) Reserve players: BÁEZ, Antonio (Millonarios [COL]) (28) BRAVO, Rubén (Racing Club [ARG]) (26) GARCÍA, Higinio (Racing Club [ARG]) (27) LABRUNA, Ángel (River Plate [ARG]) (31) MOURIÑO, Eliseo (Banfield [ARG]) (23) RUGILO, Miguel Ángel (Vélez Sarsfield [ARG]) (31) VERNAZZA, Santiago (Platense [ARG]) (21)
Scouting to assess the form and merits of fringe candidates has begun in England and Hungary, with a view to announcing squads imminently:
Hungary are sending a somewhat inexperienced squad, with a lot of recent debutants.... 1 - Gyula Grosics 2 - Jeno Buzanszky 3 - Gyula Lorant 4 - Mihaly Lantos 5 - Jozsef Bozsik 6 - Jozsef Zakarias 7 - Istvan Nyers 8 - Sandor Kocsis 9 - Peter Palotas 10 - Ferenc Puskas 11 - Zoltan Czibor 12 - Lazslo Kubala 13 - Imre Kovacs 14 - Ferenc Szusza 15 - Lazslo Budai 16 - Nandor Hidegkuti But maybe a 2nd goalkeeper still gets a place and Kubala gets left behind with Deak, who seems to have been overlooked due to some strange plan to withdraw the centre-forward into midfield.
England also provisionally finalise the squad, with no designated 2nd goalkeeper. If rules/protocol suggest they should add one then it's rumoured Jackie Milburn will return home... 1 - Bert Williams 2 - Alf Ramsey 3 - Bill Eckersley 4 - Neil Franklin 5 - Billy Wright 6 - Bill Nicholson 7 - Stanley Matthews 8 - Wilf Mannion 9 - Stan Mortensen 10 - Len Shackleton 11 - Tom Finney 12 - Tommy Lawton 13 - Jackie Sewell 14 - Jack Froggatt 15 - Joe Mercer 16 - Jackie Milburn Plan A is believed to involve incorporating the 'push and run' style.