England Football Online
      Results 1955-1960                             Page Last Updated 23 February 2024

Brasilia

 
303 vs. Brazil  
previous match (3 days)
322 vs. USSR
323 
next match (3 days)
324 vs. Austria ~ 325 vs. USSR 
331 vs. Brazil
5.0 Children 6.0 News & Sport 6.20 'Light in the Desert' (film):
6.45 World Cup: Brazil v. England
(news at ht) 8.50 Perry Como Show
5.55 News 6.10 Melody Ranch
6.45 World Cup: Brazil vs. England
8:45 'The Troublemakers' (play)
Wednesday, 11 June 1958
The VM Coupe Jules Rimet Fotboll Finals First Phase Pool 4 match three/four


Brazil 0 England 0
[0-0]
 
 
Nya Ullevi Stadion, Heden, Göteborg, Västra Götalands Iän, Sweden
Kick-off (CET & BST): 7.00pm
Attendance: 40,895
   
[0-0] Vavá's effort 'twangs' the crossbar 30
[0-0] Mazzola's had effort come back off the post
 
   
Commentator: Kenneth Wolstenholme
(various regions) - Commentator: Peter Lloyd and Gerry Loftus
The last half-hour of the match was also live on The Light Programme
This week's Music Charts
  
"MERRIE ENGLAND RISE TO GLORY!" Daily Mirror
Officials Brazil Party FIFA ruling on NO substitutes England Party
Referee (black)
Albert Dusch
45 (6 December 1912), Kaiserslautern
There are no substitutions whatsoever in the World Cup Finals matches.
 
Linesmen
István Zsolt
36 (28 June 1921), Budapest
Bertil Wilhelm Lööw
33 (15 June 1924), Jönköping
     
Brazil Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd
Colours Yellow jerseys with lime green collars/cuffs, light blue shorts with white side stripe, white socks with two narrow yellow and lime green stripes at top.
Captain Hilderaldo Bellini Manager Vicente Ítalo Feola, 48 (20 November 1909)
team chosen on the morning of the match.
seventh match, W 4 - D 3 - L 0 - F 16 - A 3.
Brazil Lineup
For full names, please see the Party page  
3 Gilmar 27
293 days
22 August 1930 G SC Corinthians Paulista 33 34ᵍᵃ
14 De Sordi, Nílton 27
117 days
14 February 1931 RB São Paulo FC 16 0
12 Nílton Santos 33
26 days
16 May 1925 LB Botafogo FR 48 2
5 Dino Sani 26
19 days
23 May 1932 RHB São Paulo FC 7 0
2 Bellini, Hilderado L. 28
4 days
7 June 1930 CHB CR Vasco da Gama 10 0
15 Peçanha de Carvalho, Orlando 22
264 days
20 September 1935 LHB CR Vasco da Gama 3 0
17 Joel 26
261 days
23 September 1931 OR CR Flamengo 13 2
6 Didi 29
246 days
8 October 1928 IR Botafogo FR 43 2
18 Mazzola 19
322 days
24 July 1938 CF SE Palmeiras 7 4
20 Vavá 23
211 days
12 November 1934 IL CR Vasco da Gama 5 1
7 Lobo Zagallo, Mário J. 26
306 days
9 August 1931 OL CR Flamengo 5 2
reserves: not permitted
 
2-3-5 Gilmar -
De Sordi, Nílton Santos -
Dino Sani, Bellini, Orlando Peçanha -
Joel, Didi, Mazzola, Vavá, Mário Zagallo
Averages: Age 26 years 189 days Appearances/Goals 17.3 1.2
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 4th
Colours The 1954 Umbro home uniform - White v-necked short-sleeved continental jerseys, blue shorts, red socks with white calf hoop.
P thirtieth of 139, W 17 - D 8 - L 5 - F 78 - A 37
Captain Billy Wright Manager Walter Winterbottom, 45 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
rec. 79th of 90, W 46 - D 17 - L 16 - F 199 - A 113. Trainer: Harold Shepherdson P 97th of 139, W 59 - D 21 - L 17 - F 273 - A 134, one abandoned.
  ³   Team chosen by Selection Committee, headed by Joe Mears, on Tuesday, 10 June.
England Lineup
   one change to the previous match (A'Court>Finney) FINAL league positions (30 April)
1 McDonald, Colin A. 27
239 days
15 October 1930 G Burnley FC (FL 6th) 3 3ᵍᵃ
2 Howe, Donald 22
242 days
12 October 1935 RB West Bromwich Albion FC (FL 4th) 9 0
3 Banks, Thomas 28
213 days
10 November 1929 LB Bolton Wanderers FC (FL 15th) 3 0
4 Clamp, H. Edwin 23
270 days
14 September 1934 RHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 3 0
5 Wright, William A. 34
125 days
6 February 1924 CHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 94 3
most apps 1952-58
6 Slater, William J. 31
43 days
29 April 1927 LHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 8 0
7 Douglas, Bryan 24
15 days
27 May 1934 OR Blackburn Rovers FC (FL2 2nd) 9 1
8 Robson, Robert W. 25
113 days
18 February 1933 IR West Bromwich Albion FC (FL 4th) 4 2
9 Kevan, Derek T. 23
97 days
6 March 1935 CF West Bromwich Albion FC (FL 4th) 9 5
10 Haynes, John N. 23
237 days
17 October 1934 IL Fulham FC (FL2 6th) 22 8
21 A'Court, Alan 23
256 days
30 September 1934 OL Liverpool FC (FL2 4th) 2 1
reserves: not permitted
team changes: Tom Finney was the original named outside-left, meaning it was supposed to be an unchanged side to that last fixture against USSR. Finney failed a fitness test on the day of the match because of his injured right knee.
team notes: Billy Wright extends his record appearance tally, in his record 59th consecutive match.
Winterbottom only played two of his most experienced players. Wright & Haynes were just two of the 32 of players who have won more than ten appearances under him.
records: The draw produced a new record. It is the first time England have drawn three matches in a row.
This is the fifth time England have recorded three draws in a single calendar year (1923, 1951, 1953 & 1956 being the previous years).
World Cup Finals records: The first scoreless draw in WCF history.
 
2-3-5 McDonald -
Howe, Banks -
Clamp, Wright, Slater -
Douglas, Robson, Kevan, Haynes, A'Court.
Averages: Age 26 years 70 days Appearances/Goals 15.1 1.8
youngest WCF team so far
 
                Match Report by Mike Payne

ENGLAND suffered a devastating blow before the kick-off in this vital match when Tom Finney was ruled out because of injury. Alan A'Court came into the side for a game where it was very important that England did not lose. The mighty Brazilians were already showing all the signs of being a fine team.

Despite the final scoreline the game was a thriller. Full of open and attacking football it was very much a case of contrasting styles with the subtle skills of the smooth Brazilians pitched against the typical English game of hard tackling and swift counter attacks. The control of the South Americans was breathtaking at times with Didi and [Mazzola] outstanding. The ease at which they killed the ball from any angle and then laid off accurate passes was beautiful to watch.

England, meanwhile, battled like tigers. A'Court proved a capable deputy and although he did not have the extra class of Finney, he more than held his own.  On 11 minutes, A'Court put Derek Kevan through, only for Gilmar to make a fine diving save. Then Colin McDonald, superb throughout, made an equally good save when he sprang to catch a header from [Mazzola]. The end to end action was continuous and Gilmar then made an even better save when he touched a tremendous shot from Johnny Haynes around the post.

The big crowd were delighted at the excitement on the pitch with the England lads enjoying the full vocal backing of a contingent from the British Navy. The player who stood out for England was, once again, Billy Wright. The captain was magnificent and he spurred his colleagues on with an immaculate display. Don Howe, Eddie Clamp and Blll Slater gave him admirable support in what was a very good team effort.

After half an hour, England had an escape when a brilliant 20-yard shot by the impressive Vavá crashed back into play off the crossbar.  But the swift tackling of the whole England side began to have its effect on Brail and soon Wright and his men were controlling the game. For most of the second half the match belonged to them as the pressure on Gilmar's goal intensified all through the half.

Kevan was only stopped at the expense of a corner. A superb move between Haynes and Bobby Robson produced another corner and then A'Court, Slater and Kevan combined for Robson to just miss again. Yet another corner.

It was great stuff and England deserved a goal. However, Brazil also had their moments, a side as skilful as they are can never totally subdued. Didi and Vavá both tested the faultless McDonald to the full. It was a pulsating game which only lacked one thing and that was a goal.

Each of the England players were heroes with Howe in fine form. Clamp and Slater showed everyone the form they displayed every week at Molineux and Wright was inspiration personified. And one other thing, Kevan had put up with a good deal of criticism during his England career but in this match he gave an excellent display of powerhouse centre-forward play. But for the agility and skill of Gilmar, the West Brom player could have been the hero of a nation.

England now had a great chance of reaching the next round provided they could beat Austria in their final group match.

  

                Match Report by Norman Giller

This was the only World Cup match in which eventual champions Brazil failed to score, and it was due mainly to the defensive tactics worked out by Walter Winterbottom's assistant Bill Nicholson, who had watched their opening match against Austria. The Brazilians were not allowed to get into their smooth rhythm. The nearest they got to breaking down the disciplined England defence was when Vavá rocked the crossbar with a shot from twenty yards. Bill Slater played a key role in what was a triumph for England, sticking close to their ball master Didi and not giving him room to produce his devastating passes. The result forced the Brazilians to re-think, and they were persuaded to call up two exceptional but untested individualists: Garrincha and Pelé. The rest is World Cup history!  Slater finished the match with bruises on the inside of both knees where he had kept banging them together to stop Didi pulling off his favourite trick of threading the ball through an opponent's legs - now known as the nutmeg.
  

Other World Cup Results
Pool 1:
 
Argentina 3 Northern Ireland 1
   Örjans Vall, Halmstad
(14,174)
Corbatta 37 (pen), Menéndez
56, Avio 60 ~ McParland 4
 
Czechoslovakia 2 West Germany 2
   Olympiastadion, Helsingborg
(25,000)
Dvořák
24 (pen), Zikán 42 ~
Schäfer
60, Rahn 71



Northern Ireland suffered a blow in losing to Argentina, but they still had a fighting chance of reaching the quarter-finals, if they could take something from their final group match, against the holders, West Germany, in four days' time.
Pool One Table
Team P W D L F A Pts
West Germany 2 1 1 0 5 3 3
Argentina 2 1 0 1 4 4 2
               
Northern Ireland 2 1 0 1 2 3 2
Czechoslovakia 2 0 1 1 2 3 1
Pool 2: 
     
         
France 2 Yugoslavia 3
   Arosvallen, Västerås
(12,217)
Fontaine 4, 85 ~
Petaković
16, Veselinović 63
, 88
 
Paraguay 3 Scotland 2
   Idrottsparken, Norrköping
(11,665)
Agüero
4, Ré 45,
Parodi 73 ~
Mudie
24, Collins 74
 
Scotland's defeat left them heading for an early exit, with only France left to play. Nothing less than a win would take them to a play-off with either Paraguay or Yugoslavia.
Pool Two Table
Team P W D L F A Pts
Yugoslavia 2 1 1 0 4 3 3
France 2 1 0 1 9 6 2
               
Paraguay 2 1 0 1 6 9 2
Scotland 2 0 1 1 3 4 1

 
Pool 3:
 
Mexico 1 Wales 1
   Råsunda Fotbollsstadion, Solna
(15,150)
Belmonte
89 ~ Allchurch 32
 
 
A finely-balanced game saw Wales lose a point to a late equaliser, leaving them only the hosts to play, though Sweden had already qualified for the quarter-finals by then.
Pool Three Table
Team P W D L F A Pts
Sweden 1 1 0 0 3 0 2
Wales 2 0 2 0 2 2 2
               
Hungary 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Mexico 2 0 1 1 1 4 1
Pool 4:
 
Austria 0 USSR 2
   Ryavallen, Borås
(21,239)
Ilyin 15, V.Ivanov 62
 
The Soviets' victory meant that England had to beat Austria to give them their best chance of reaching the quarter-finals.
Pool Four Table
Team P W D L F A Pts
Brazil 2 1 1 0 3 0 3
USSR 2 1 1 0 4 2 3
               
England 2 0 2 0 2 2 2
Austria 2 0 0 2 0 5 0
       In Other News....
It was on 11 June 1958 that brothers, Martin (38) and Dennis (36) O'Brien were committed for trial after being caught digging an elaborate tunnel from a rented shop in Port Talbot to a branch of the Midland Bank, across the road, intending to emerge beneath the bank's vault and steal what was in it. They were expecting around £150,000. The mastermind of it all, John Rivers, had hired the shop, but was never found. When the rent was unpaid, the landlord investigated and found that the floor had been dug up, and called the police. The tunnel was held up with timber columns, and there were even light bulbs connected to the shop's electricity supply, positioned at intervals. Both brothers received four-year prison sentences.
                Source Notes
TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
The Complete Book of the British Charts
  Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record

Norman Giller, Football Author
André do Nascimento Pereira
cg