Battle of Berne (1954 FIFA World Cup)
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 | This article is written like a story. (June 2010) |
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| Date | 27 June 1954 | ||||||
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| Venue | Wankdorf Stadium, Berne | ||||||
| Referee | Arthur Ellis (England) | ||||||
| Attendance | 60,000 | ||||||
The Battle of Berne is used to refer to the infamous football match played between Hungary and Brazil, a quarter-final at the 1954 World Cup played on June 27, 1954 at the Wankdorf Stadium in Berne, Switzerland.
The match became one of the 20th century's most notorious premier games with its violent tactics, brutal challenges and spiteful petulance. Hungary, with their legendary team of Mighty Magyars and Brazil, runners up at the 1950 World Cup, were two of the most outstanding teams at the 1954 World Cup. However, what could have been an outstanding match between two excellent sides degenerated into an ill tempered contest and was dubbed the "Battle of Berne" by the British press.
"Never in my life have I seen such cruel tackling," observed The Times correspondent.[citation needed] During the match, English referee Arthur Ellis sent off three players after several punch ups on the pitch.
Background
Football had come relatively early to Brazil, transmitted by the son of a British expatriate, Charles William Miller, who had attended the English public school at Southhampton and brought the aristocratic collegian game with him in 1894 to São Paulo. Football was a cliquish past time of British communities in metropolitan areas of Latin America and after the First World War found a place in the national life of most South American nations across all segments of society. With credentials and a trim that were perennial at every World Cup, Brazil's emergence was one of crescendoing progress. Their World Cup side of 1938 that managed to come in third place showed a prospectus of untold potential, but also their need to coalesce many talent points and vast resources into a focused semblance of winning form. By 1950 World Cup, as hosts of the World Cup, Brazil was primed on the cusp of destiny, receiving copious publicity as the highly advertised side ready to win over the world. Presented to a still-record audience of 199,850 in the world's largest and most futuristic Estádio do Maracanã, Brazil met in an unofficial "final" a much weaker Uruguayian team in a game that would haunt and mortify Brazilian sensibilities on a national scale for a time. In the most famous game played up to that date, Uruguayan steely determination and argueably soccer history's most famous counter-attack by Juan Schiaffino propelled Uruguay 2-1 again to the game's pinnacle. Brazil came with a confidence and vaulting ambition that was made plain — to lift the chagrin and unhappy run of fortune of the "Maracanazo" that lingered with a team re-organized in a spirit to improve its operational circumstances after the 1950 fiasco. South America's top team again was at the door of greatness with a dispensation of balanced cogent throughput that knew the game's trade on every level. The Seleção's Elo theoretical rating of 2010 points reflected their status as the planet's No. 2 team by most sports journalists; and were archetypal in elements of speed, physicality, and soulful joie de vivre passing and dribbling of superb Latin American football. Their famous backfield was co-opted by the optimal defender Djalma Santos who was perhaps the greatest right back in the game's annals and his colleague Nilton Santos interlinked the strongest attacking fullback tandem in football history. Djalma Santos' virtues of a cool jockeying style was held in high esteem for the successful rate of his dispossessions, tackles and intercepting the perilous runs and passes of others. Both would play extensively together in 70 internationals, gain two World Cup titles and earn enormous credit in barring access to a well-rigged defense around goal. At the heart of Brazil's play stood one of midfield's greatest figures, Didi, to whom the ball was often channelled and after winning the 1958 World Cup would wear the tag "World's Best Player". Around him were attached players of real talent.
The match
The much fancied 1954 quarter-final between Brazil and Hungary was enthusiastically written about by the press covering the game as the "unofficial final". For fans, organizers, and journalists alike the match's ascent and buildout, had finally arrived. Hungary's captaincy for the game with their talismanic captain Ferenc Puskás out injured was conferred upon József Bozsik, the era's most gifted midfielder and the game's nonpareil winger Zoltán Czibor spelled the injured captain Puskás at inside-left.
On June 27, 1954, even without their captain, the Magical Magyars summoned varsity capital effort and skill early on. After three minutes, Nándor Hidegkuti took receipt of the ball from the left side of the penalty box. In a scramble for it, half the Brazilian team funneled to the area with the quickest of speed where pandemonium reigned before Nandor Hidegkuti mightily plowed into the ball with violence through a wall of defenders to evoke high emotion in the 60,000 who had gathered. Minutes later, Hidegkuti momentarily dwelled on the ball before lofting an arch from midfield, and inside-forward Sándor Kocsis outleapt tight two-man marking to steer a long header into the net, 2-0 Hungary after 7 minutes. The proud Seleção was ill at ease by the jarring pace of the immediate two scores put upon them by the Hungarians. Both teams strove in an attrition battle royal to stem the other's advance and arrest developing plays through a policy that courted injury, unrelenting combative hard fouling that saw players clashing fiercely in contention for the ball. The game became erratic with continual interruptions after each free kick was awarded; an unheard sum of 42 free kicks saw many piercing challenges lack respect, some were violently brutal that reminds one of the unreined intensity on that fateful day. Of these, tripping that felled forward Indio in the penalty area was converted from the penalty spot by Djalma Santos, 2-1. By the 60th minute, the game was 3-1 and seemingly out of reach for Brazil, who then did everything they could to keep within the match. Shortly afterwards, Julinho slalomed in to stroke a curling drive, the ball knuckling into the top right corner of the net from the opposing side of the penalty box in one of the finest speculative efforts seen at the tournament, 3-2. József Bozsik, a deputy member in the Hungarian parliament, taking umbrage and feeling that he was tackled unfairly retaliated by punching Nilton Santos and soon both were in fisticuffs. Brazil energetically surged forward with their remaining stores, but Didi hit the crossbar in what would be their last chance to draw level. Soon after, Djalma Santos put aside all ideas of playing soccer to pursue Czibor about the field livid in a fit of rage. In the final minutes of the game, Czibor was seen foraging peripherally on the flanks, found his bearing and supplied Sándor Kocsis with an aerial cross who firmly headed home the final score, 4-2. The last moments of the game was little more than a running sparing match between the two great teams. Brazil forward Humberto Tozzi kicked Hungary's Gyula Lorant prior to the whistle and was genuflect on bended knees not to be sent off by referee, Arthur Ellis, who gave him his marching orders. As the game concluded, the excesses and tensions on the field continued unabated off of it. Wild rumors broke and circulated that a spectating Ferenc Puskás allegedly struck Pinheiro with a bottle causing a three-inch cut, while most reports hold a spectator culprit and not the Hungarian captain. Hamstrung throughout the game, an incensed Brazil gave vent to frustration by having their fans, photographers, trainers, reserve players and coaches invade the pitch with the Swiss police powerless to impose rule on the tumult and disorder that followed. In the tunnel of the stadium, Brazilian players smashed the light bulbs leading to the Hungarians' dressing room and ambushed the Magyars in their quarters where a melee in virtual darkness occurred, there broken bottles, fists and shoes were used as weapons. At least one Hungarian player was rendered unconscious and Hungary manager Gusztáv Sebes ended up requiring four stitches after being struck by a broken bottle.
Years later the game's English referee Arthur Ellis commented, "I thought it was going to be the greatest game I ever saw. But it turned out to be a disgrace."
The infamous occasion of the "Battle of Berne" is still talked about today among the old timers in Hungary, with many expressing the opinion that this was the first "final" of the three that Hungary had to play at the 1954 World Cup. It has been put forward that the Magical Magyars had staved off Brazil from beginning their procession of World Cup titles in 1954, added to those of 1958, 1962, and 1970.
Match details
Hungary  | 4 – 2 |  Brazil |
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Hidegkuti  4'Kocsis 7', 88'Lantos 60' (pen.) |
Report | Santos 18' (pen.) Julinho 65' |
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Assistant referees:
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See also
Source
- Terry Crouch: The World Cup, The Complete History (2002)