FIFA World Cup 2014: The ghost of 1950

Rio de Janeiro: Colombia’s 2-0 win over Uruguay was a cathartic result for Brazilians. The Uruguayans won the 1950 World Cup after inflicting a painful defeat on Brazil and few people here have forgotten the agony of the Maracanazo. The defeat of Uruguay in a World Cup match at the Maracana brought a sort of closure to one of the agonising moments in the history of Brazilian football.

Uruguayan fans had the upper hand before the start of the match as they flaunted ‘1950’ printed on their sky blue jerseys. Ghiggia, who scored Uruguay’s winning goal 64 years ago, also figured prominently. Brazilians rallied behind Colombia during the match and unseemly scenes were witnessed after the final whistle as they started fighting with Uruguayans outside the stands.

Francisco Eduardo said he would never forget 1950. “No Brazilian can. It’s burning inside me. We aren’t against South American teams but we hate Uruguay for the damage they did to us in the last World Cup we hosted,” he added.

With the Selecao pulling it off against Chile on penalties earlier in the day, Brazilian fans joined hands with their Colombian counterparts to taunt the supporters of Uruguay by shouting “You are out” in Spanish.

Leo, a Colombian living in the US, said it was his country’s greatest day in sports. “We qualified for the World Cup after 16 years. We have made it to the quarterfinals for the first time. Above all, we have beaten our nemesis in qualifiers, Uruguay, in the World Cup. What more can we ask for? It’s going to be a long night for us,” he said, as his ecstatic compatriots filled the road outside the Maracana.