Tragedi Maracana: Kekalahan Tim Samba Jadi Dream Bad Seisi Brasil

The second goal was Alcides Ghiggia's goal which gave Uruguay's 2-1 win over Brazil in the 1950 World Cup final at the Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The Maracana Stadium has an important meaning for the Brazilian people. The discourse is not only a symbol of merging football with the lives of the Brazilian people, but the stadium was culled for the Samba Team to lift the 1950 World Cup trophy. Optimism comes because the Samba Team is appearing dominant.

Brazil is already preparing to hold a championship celebration, even though the deciding match has not yet been played. Long roasting from the fire. Brazil actually lost to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup determination round which was held in Maracana. The defeat made the whole Brazil disappointed, not playing. Some of them ended up committing suicide.

The International Football Federation (FIFA) appointed Brazil to host the 1950 World Cup. The initiation was greeted with great fanfare by the whole of Brazil. Even though Brazil's election was criticized by many parties. The power of attorney is considered not ready to hold world-class football celebrations.

The narrative of poverty that proliferates is the estuary. However, the Brazilian people are trying to break the chain of opinion. The government and the Brazilian people work hand in hand to make the country worthy of being reckoned with as the host of world-class football celebrations.

One by one supporting facilities are provided. In fact, the Brazilian government dared to try to build a lighthouse project. The owner of power wants to build a magnificent stadium in the heart of Brazil, Rio de Jeneiro. Maracana Stadium, his name.

The costs disbursed were quite large. The amount even reaches hundreds of millions of US dollars. The Brazilian people don't care about the funds that actually can make the Brazilian people taste welfare. All of them actually support the government in working on a stadium that can accommodate hundreds of thousands of people.

The total construction of the stadium uses personnel from 10 thousand workers. The work was perpetuated in 1948. The Brazilian government's hard work finally paid off. The Maracana Stadium was inaugurated on June 16, 1950, or eight days before the opening match of the 1950 World Cup, between Brazil and Mexico. Since then the Brazilian people believe that Maracana is a holy place that will be able to present the 1950 World Cup trophy.

It started half a century ago. At the 1950 World Cup, young Brazil wanted to show the world that they are a modern, ambitious and confident country. Four years earlier, they gave birth to a democratic constitution to end the dictatorship during the Second World War.

Optimism and novelty require symbols. Size is essential considering Brazil is a big country with big beaches, big rivers, and giant tropical rainforests. They already have the largest Jesus statue. But they need a new symbol. That's why they built the largest stadium in the world: Maracana, "said Darmanto Simaepa in the book From Behind Gawang (2021).

The 1950 World Cup was greeted with great fanfare. Brazil, as predicted, was able to excel in a world-class football event whose finals were still lasting in a round-robin format (similar to the group phase). Brazil, which is part of the group one, dominates so much.

The Seleccao team was only held to a draw by Switzerland in the group stage. The narrative made Brazil advance smoothly to the final round. Brazil met each winner of the second group (Spain), three (Sweden), and four (Uruguay).

Even the finals of Brazil do not want to lose. Sweden and Spain were able to be crushed. Uruguay also showed the same ability in second place. Uruguay won once and drew once. Therefore, Uruguay's momentum against Brazil will determine who will win the 1950 World Cup.

Winning is a fixed price for Uruguay, while Brazil only needs a draw to lift the trophy. A decisive match is scheduled for the Maracana Stadium on July 16, 1950. However, the Brazilian people, even FIFA, are confident that Brazil will become world champions.

That assumption lasts because of Brazil's soaring performance with the mainstay tridents Friaca, Ademir, and Chico. Local mass media have congratulated Brazil. Likewise with local officials. The Brazilian people also do not want to lose. Various celebrations are starting to be prepared.

The goal is one. They want to celebrate the victory of their country which is just one step away. The day they have been waiting for has arrived. The Brazilian national team is confident that they will win. They dominated the game with a goal from Friaca in the second half of 47 minutes. Brazil won 0-1.

However, Uruguay with his mainstay players Alberto Schiafino, Alcides Ghiggia, and Obdulio Varela played hard. They didn't want to go home with a gloomy face down. The result was brilliant. Uruguay was able to score two goals against Brazil.

Juan Schiafino scored each in the 66th minute, and Alcides Ghiggia in the 79th minute. The victory then silenced the whole Maracana Stadium. Floods of tears occurred. Uruguay did not have time to get a proper trophy lifting ceremony and as it should be.

Uruguay also did not get a medal because FIFA had written only the names of Brazilian players. The audience who attended was dissolved in deep sadness. The sadness also left hundreds of people with a heart attack. Three of them died after being rushed to the hospital.

Brazil's defeat in Maracana is considered the most embarrassing event in history. The anticipated discourse prepared for Brazil's victory has actually become the stage for lifting the opponent's trophy. The player who defended the Samba Team was then ostracized by the Brazilian people.

Mainly, to the goalkeeper, Moacyr Barbosa, who was considered the culprit behind Brazil's victory failure. The incident then sparked many suicides in Brazil. Therefore, the tragedy of Brazil's defeat is widely remembered as Maracanazo (Marketana).

The 1950 World Cup is over. For Brazil, it's all over. Uruguay players took turns hugging referee Reader. FIFA president Jules Rimet was escorted to the pitch by hysterical crying police. Jules let the Uruguay captain and the best player in the game, Varela lifted the trophy, although he was advised not to lift it.

Varela was satisfied with going on drinking in Rio that night. he felt like the king of Uruguay, the king of Brazil, the king of the world. No samba dance was done in Brazil. Elsewhere in Rio, there was a suicide case. This country, almost like one unit, surrendered to the fact that they would not win a world trophy in their hometown, "explained Scott Murray in his writing on the page of The Guardian entitled World Cup Stuck Moments: Uruguay's 1950 Triumph in Brazil (2018).