|
Background |
After the war, FIFA were keen to resurrect the
competition as soon as possible, and they began making plans for a World Cup
tournament to take place. But much of Europe
lay in ruins. As a result, FIFA had some difficulties finding a country
interested in hosting the event, since many governments believed that the
world scenario did not favour a sportive celebration, and also that the
resources that would have to be put into organizing the World Cup could not be
diverted from other more urgent fronts. For some time, the World Cup was
at risk of not being held for lack of interest, until Brazil presented a bid
to FIFA, offering to
host the event in 1949. Brazil and Germany had been the
leading bidders to host the cancelled 1942 World Cup, and Brazil's new bid was very similar to their 1942
bid and was quickly accepted
at the 24th FIFA Congress in Luxembourg on 26 July 1946
(along with the 1954 World Cup). On 27 July 1948,
Congress decided to delay the World Cup Finals for a year, deciding it should
take place in 1950.
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The Draw |
The Brazilian organizers of the tournament demanded a new
format in which the sixteen teams were divided into four pools of
four teams, with the four group winners advancing to a final group
stage, playing on a league basis to determine the winner.
The
organizers had spent a great deal on stadium and infrastructure
investment. A knockout tournament would only return sixteen games,
while the proposed double phase format would guarantee thirty games,
and enhance the ticket revenue. Guaranteeing each team at least three
games.
FIFA originally resisted, but backed down after Brazil
threatened to withdraw as hosts.
The draw, held in the library of the Foreign Office in Rio on
Monday, 22 May 1950, presided over by the Foreign Minister, Raoul
Fernandes, allocated sixteen
qualifying teams into four groups.
|
Pot 1 (all seeded) |
Pot 2 |
Pot 3 |
Pot 4 |
|
Brazil |
Scotland |
Bolivia |
India |
|
Italy |
Sweden |
Chile |
Mexico |
|
England |
Switzerland |
Paraguay |
Turkey |
|
Uruguay |
Spain |
Yugoslavia |
United States |
Before the qualification competition,
George Graham, SFA chairman, had said that Scotland would only
travel to Brazil as winners of the Home Championship. After
Scotland ended up in second place behind England, Scotland
withdrew from the tournament.
Turkey also withdrew, citing financial problems
and the cost of travelling to South America. FIFA then invited Portugal
and France, who had both been eliminated in qualifying.
India then withdrew, citing costs. There was not enough time to
invite further replacement teams or to reorganize the groups, so the
tournament featured only thirteen teams, with just two nations in
Group 4.
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The Build-Up |
23 May:
The
Football Association announced their squad of 21 players for the
tournament.
"The party will leave by air on
June 19. Matthews and Taylor, who are at present with the F.A. touring
side in Canada, and Aston and Cockburn, now in America with Manchester
United, will join the party in Brazil." - The Times
India withdrew from Group III, leaving
three teams (Italy, Paraguay and Sweden).
Group IV, as per the draw, was Bolivia,
France, (Eire, Israel or Portugal) and Uruguay.
30 May: The
fixtures were announced.
"It was decided to wait until
Wednesday to allow Portugal time to reply to an invitation to compete
before allocating the grounds". The Times
1 June: The venues
for England's games were announced (two in Rio, one in Belo Horizonte).
6 June: France
withdrew from the tournament.
"The decision followed the rejection
by the Brazil Sports Federation of the French complaint that their team
would have to travel extensively (2,174 miles) in a comparatively short
period of time between matches (25 to 29 June)".
The Glasgow Herald
14 June: England's first training session is
held on the second pitch at the home of Dulwich Hamlet FC.
19 June: The F.A.
touring team beat the United States in New York by a goal to nil, whilst
the World Cup squad flew to Rio, a journey of 31 hours. The squad are
based at the Luxor Hotel on Copacabana Beach.
22 June: The F.A.
touring team beat a Swedish amateur side, Jønköpings,
by seven goals to one in Montreal.
23 June: England's
team for the opening game, against Chile, was announced, whilst Sweden
were chosen as hosts for the 1958 tournament. |
|
|
First Phase
Pool 2 |
|
Team |
P
|
W |
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
GD
|
Pts
|
|
Spain |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
+5 |
6 |
|
England |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
=0 |
2 |
|
Chile |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
-1 |
2 |
|
United States |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
8 |
-4 |
2 |
|
25 June 1950 - both 3.00pm
BRT |
England 2 Chile
0 [1-0]
Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro (29,703) |
Mortensen, Mannion |
Spain 3 United States
1 [0-1]
Estádio
Durival Britto e Silva, Curitiba
(9,511) |
Igoa, Basora, Zarra
Pariani |
"...Mannion,
Mortensen, Bentley, and Wright were prominent for England, who had most
of the game territorially, and were the better team. Many attacks were
stopped by the vigorous methods of the Chilean defence, but it was a
sporting game". - The Times, 26 June 1950
|
29 June 1950 - both 3.00pm
BRT |
3.00pm BRT -
Spain 2 Chile
0 [2-0]
Estádio
Municipal, Rio de Janeiro (19,790) |
Basora, Zarra |
6.00pm
BRT -
United States
1 England 0 [1-0]
Estádio Independência, Belo Horizonte
(10,151) |
Gaetjens |
"Probably
never before has an England team played so badly. The chances they
missed were legion. With the American goal at their mercy, the forwards
blazed over the bar or hesitated near goal to allow a lively defence to
rob them of the ball.
"The small
ground and the close marking of the United States defenders seemed to
upset the English players in their close passing game...
"They had some
bad luck, it is true, particularly after half-time, but the Americans
also went near to increasing their lead on occasions with sudden
breaks-away." - The Times, 30 June 1950
|
2 July 1950
- both BRT |
3.00pm -
Spain 1 England 0
[0-0]
Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro (74,462) |
Zarra |
|
ENGLAND ARE ELIMINATED |
6.00pm - Chile
5 United States 2 [1-0]
Estádio Adelmar da Costa Carvalho, Recife
(8,501) |
Robledo, Cremaschi (3), Prieto
Wallace, Maca (pen) |
"England's
reorganized forward line was always a source of danger.
"frequently
baulked by the obstruction tactics of their opponents which went
unpunished...
"though
beaten and eliminated from the tournament, they were accorded a great
reception by the vast Brazilian crowd." - The Times, 3 July
1950
ENGLAND'S FAILURE IN BRAZIL
"...general
disappointment that England failed to survive the preliminary rounds...
"crowd did
not like the rough and often dubious tactics of the Spanish team...
"Although the
English team has the right to feel that at times it was treated badly by
the referee, in fact it had only itself to blame...
"While the
forwards were indulging in short passing near the goal, a typical massed
Continental type defence was set up and proved too strong to penetrate.
"...defence
and approach work could not be criticised." -
The Guardian,
4 July 1950
|
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|
Second Phase |
|
9 July 1950
- both 3.00pm BRT |
Uruguay
2 Spain 2
[0-0]
Estádio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho, Pacaembu (44,802) |
Ghiggia, Varela
Basora (2) |
Brazil 7 Sweden 1
[0-0]
Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro (138,886) |
Ademir (4), Chico (2)
Anderson (pen) |
"Mr Drewry, the Football League
president and chairman of the International Selection Committee, and Sir
Stanley Rous did not return with the England players, who arrived in
London late yesterday afternoon. They are staying on to the end of the
World Cup games as members of F.I.F.A. Committee."
- The Sunderland Echo, 10 July 1950
"Gate receipts for the World Football
Championships which are being played in Rio are expected to amount to
three-quarters of a million pounds. This is without taking into account
the possibility of any play-offs in the final pool which is now being
decided. From the 18 games already played the Brazilian organising
committee have taken nearly £470,000. Takings from England's three
matches amount to more than £76,000, of which £50,000 came from the
match with Spain." - The Lincolnshire Echo, 11 July 1950
|
13 July 1950 -
all 3.00pm BRT |
Uruguay
3 Sweden 2
[0-0]
Estádio Municipal Paulo Machado
de Carvalho, Pacaembu (7,987) |
Ghiggia, Míguez (2)
Palmér, Sundkvist |
Brazil
6 Spain 1
[0-0]
Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro (152,772) |
Parra OG,
Jair, Chico (2), Ademir, Zizinho
Igoa |
|
16 July 1950 |
Sweden 3
Spain 1
[0-0]
Estádio
Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho, Pacaembu (11,227) |
Sundkvist, Mellberg, Palmér
Zarra |
Uruguay 2 Brazil 1
[0-0]
Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro (205,000) |
Schiaffino, Ghiggia
Friaça |
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The
Final Pool |
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The
Final
Pool Table |
|
Team |
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
GD
|
Pts
|
|
Uruguay |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
5 |
+2 |
5 |
|
Brazil |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
14 |
4 |
+10 |
4 |
|
Sweden |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
-5 |
2 |
|
Spain |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
11 |
-7 |
1 |
|
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|
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