| |
Didi set the tempo in midfield for Brazil's winning sides in 1958 and 1962. Allsport/Hulton/Archive |
After the shock of losing to Uruguay in the Maracana in 1950 the task of winning the World Cup passed to a new generation of Brazilians, led by a brilliant midfield playmaker, Didi.
Didi’s greatest strength was the range and imagination of his passing and teammates said he could “make the ball talk.” He was also a lethal deadball specialist and one of the first players to bend a ball, deceiving goalkeepers with his “falling leaf” freekick
Didi was on target in his first World Cup match at the 1954 finals in Switzerland, a 5-0 win over Mexico and he also scored as Brazil was held 1-1 by Yugoslavia in its next match.
But in the quarterfinals Brazil came up against the mighty Hungarians. For periods of the match Didi was the best player on the pitch but Hungary proved too strong as the game turned ugly. With Brazil reduced to nine men Hungary won 4-2 and the “Battle of Berne” continued in the dressing rooms.
Garrincha and Pele may have been the stars in 1958 but Didi’s unhurried style continued to set the tempo in midfield. In the semifinal he scored the opening goal of Brazil’s 5-2 win over France and in the final he won the battle of the playmakers with Nils Liedholm as host Sweden was beaten, 5-2.
By 1962 Didi was 34 and his talents were fading with age. Younger players were pressing for places in midfield but Didi remained a first choice throughout the competition as Brazil strolled to another title, beating Czechoslovakia in the final, 3-1.
