Unsung Heroes in World Cups: Tostao | 1970 Mexico

The 1970 FIFA World Cup was held in Mexico. It was the first World Cup to be televised in colour, staged outside of Europe or South America, and allowed for in-match substitutions. Red and yellow cards were introduced for the first time in the World Cup. However, the tournament did not result in a single sending off. Refereeing was stricter than the last few tournaments, and that incentivised more measured challenges and fostered attacking play. Pele, with an invisible but palpable crown upon his hallowed head, inspired Brazil to glory in what remains football’s most pompous summer. The very nearly 3 goals per game record of the 1970 has never been bettered since. This was the last World Cup tournament to feature 16 teams drawn into four groups, with the two top sides from each group advancing to the knockout rounds, starting from the quarter-finals.

It was a tournament of many stars. Apart from Pele, most attention is reserved for Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Rivera, Cubillas, Rivellinho, Carlos Alberto and Jairzinho. One of those who gets slightly overlooked is Tostao, a forward widely considered to be Brazil’s second-best footballer in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Brazil boasted a plethora of world-class talents.

In this series, which will run through all twenty-two FIFA World Cup tournaments, we will try to tell the story of a player who had some important role to play in the tournament but hardly features among the first few names that jump out once you hear the tournament being mentioned. Today, in the ninth iteration of the series, we will look at Brazil’s Tostao.

When Tostao was dubbed “the new King” after his Cruzeiro defeated Pele’s Santos in 1966, he commented that such a notion was absurd because he could never execute what Pele could, but he admitted that he had a similar vision, imagination and quick thinking. Tostao was a left-footed forward with a unique skill set. In the successful World Cup campaign, he would play mostly with his back towards the goal, constantly lurking and providing his teammates with passing options. His understanding of space and positioning was as crucial as his accurate passing ability. While Pelé was the hero of the play, Tostão wrote the script more often than not. Despite his prolific scoring record, during the World Cup, he assumed the role of facilitator-in-chief, as adept on the ball as off it. He was deployed as the centre-forward, but his re-interpretation of the role is considered, in retrospect, by many as one of the earlier instances of someone playing as a false nine.

Tostao’s inclusion in the Brazil squad for the World Cup was in doubt for a long time because of an eye injury he sustained that later forced him to retire at only 26. He had to undergo retina surgery not long before the World Cup. He had been phenomenal in the qualifying rounds, where Brazil won every game and Tostão scored 10 goals (including two hat-tricks) in six games. His omission would have seriously hampered Brazil’s chances. In the context of his struggles with a detached retina, the fact that it was Tostao’s vision that became one of the most important factors in Brazil’s World Cup win reads like a fairytale.

Despite winning all three games in the group stages, Brazil’s defence was far from assured. Brazil’s fierce front five, composed of Pelé, Rivellinho, Jairzinho, Tostão, and Gerson, was too overwhelming for a mediocre Czech side, which, despite opening the scoring, was defeated by a 4-1 margin.

The next game is a World Cup classic. England had one of their best performances ever in a World Cup match. They showed tremendous discipline and unfazed concentration, keeping Brazil at bay for most of the match. But Brazil rose to the occasion perfectly. It was an exciting contest between tactical solidity and imaginative dynamism. The only goal of the match was not only a testament to Tostao’s ball-playing skills but also his perseverance and hard work. He managed to keep possession under intense pressure and provided a cross to Pelé, who laid it off for Jairzinho to finish from six yards out.

Romania were no match for a Brazil team that rested a few starters. Still, the Europeans had enough to keep testing the Brazilian defence and helped give the scoreline a flattering sheen. Tostao, frequently drifting towards the left, played like a part-winger, part-centre-forward, constantly contributing to incisive passing moves.

The quarter-finals saw Brazil face a Peru side that had “neutrals’ favourites” written all over them. Peru, with their young Talisman, Cubillas, fought well, but their defence was hardly up to the mark. Brazil did not need to get out of first gear and easily scored four, with Tostao finding the net twice. His first goal came via a rehearsed corner routine. His shot was taken from an unexpectedly acute angle, and it had power, but it should still have been saved. In his second, he showed the instinct of a striker when he rammed home a deflected cross. Brazil won 4-2.

In the semifinal, Brazil did not start convincingly. They conceded an entirely preventable goal, and Uruguay had been leading until the very end of the first half. After scoring through an inspired Clodoaldo in the 44th minute, Brazil returned to play the second half with an air of confident poise. But Uruguay were not to be easily undone. They only conceded the second goal about fifteen minutes from the end, and it is difficult to say what else they should have done to prevent it. The goal resulted from quick and instinctive attacking play, where Jairzinho, Pelé, and Tostão had expertly combined, with the former instigating and ultimately finishing the attack. Rivellinho added a third, converting a pass from Pele. Brazil went on to play the final in Estadio Azteca against an Italy team that had just knocked out a West German outfit, who had looked like a bit more worthy opponent for Brazil, in one of the most memorable games in World Cup history.

This Italian side was nothing special, and they had almost exhausted themselves in the semifinal. Tostao was man-marked in the final by Rosato, a brilliant defender, but that led to Pele enjoying greater freedom. Pele opened the scoring with what would be his last goal in the World Cups. Italy equalised in the 37th minute and kept the score level until the 66th, but they were never really in the driving seat. Gerson scored with a delightful long-ranger. Jairzinho scored a scrappy goal to effectively kill the game five minutes later. There was still enough time for the goal that is most frequently cited to sum up the magic of this legendary Brazil side. A subject of countless paragraphs, it doesn’t need another description. I would like to point out a subtle detail. When Pelé stole a moment of thrilling stillness, as the skipper Carlos Alberto ran down the right, it was Tostão, facing Pelé, pointing to Alberto’s run. To me, at least, his finger-pointing seems almost like a spoiler without which the pass would look even more unexpected. Still, it is just another reminder that Tostao read the game as fast and as good as Pele. Brazil won the World Cup for the third time and took the Jules Rimet trophy home permanently.

If his World Cup was a fairytale, it is worth remembering that fairytales rarely last long. He had to retire before the next World Cup came rolling.  An intellectual and a university-trained medical professional, Tostao became one of Brazil’s most outspoken and sharp football writers in his later years.