Historic firsts for Bolivia and Brazil

The assembly on 25 Jul 1993 of Bolivia and Brazil was that of an overwhelming force entrance adult opposite an dynamic object. Something had to give.

La Verde had never competent for a finals of a FIFA World Cupâ„¢ though were dynamic to put that right brazen of USA 1994, while Brazil had nonetheless to ambience better in a South American qualifier and were in no mood to relinquish that unapproachable record.

As story now shows, a confused home supporters in La Paz’s Estadio Hernando Siles witnessed a excellent ever Bolivian side inflict a ancestral better on a Brazil group that would be crowned universe champions 12 months later. FIFA.com recalls that watershed impulse in South American football.

The Summary
25 Jul 1993, Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz
Bolivia 2-0 Brazil
Goals: Marco Etcheverry 88, and Alvaro Pena 89.
Bolivia: Trucco; Rimba, Quinteros, Sandy, Borja; Cristaldo, Melgar, Valdivieso, Sanchez; Etcheverry and Ramallo
Coach: Xabier Azkargorta
Brazil: Taffarel; Cafu, Valber, Marcio Santos, Leonardo; Mauro Silva, Luis Enrique, Zinho, Rai; Bebeto and Muller
Coach: Carlos Parreira

The Stakes
The 1993 book of a South American qualifiers was a final before a introduction of a single-group format now in use. With Chile dangling during a time, a remaining 9 teams were separate into dual groups to conflict it a for a region’s 3.5 places during USA 1994.

Group B, containing Uruguay, Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil and Bolivia, offering finals’ berths for a tip two, while a four-team Group A had one involuntary place for a leader and a playoff berth opposite Australia for a runner-up.

One matchday 1, Bolivia gave a masterclass in aggressive football to brush aside Venezuela 7-1 in Puerto Ordaz. Their second assignment was a home tie in La Paz opposite a Auriverde, who had drawn 0-0 with Ecuador on a opening matchday and had never mislaid a World Cup qualifier.

The assembly brought together a excellent era of Bolivian footballers and a Seleção marshalled by a likes of Claudio Taffarel, Rai and Bebeto.

The Story
Bolivia knew they would have to make a many of home advantage if they were to beauty a third FIFA World Cup finals – they had formerly been invited to attend in a 1930 and 1950 editions. With this in mind, Azkargorta’s charges, wearing white for a game, ran out to face Parreira’s counterparts roared on by a packaged residence in La Paz.

The visitors attempted to take a movement out of a home side’s play with their heading flitting and turn control, though they had not bargained on a challenging midfield of Milton Melgar, Julio Cesar Valdivieso, Marco Etcheverry and Erwin Sanchez. For all that, a pivotal moments did not arrive until a second half, when Sanchez had a golden eventuality to put Bolivia brazen from a spot, usually to see Taffarel retard a bid with his legs. The Brazilian screw would not be as advantageous a subsequent time.

With only dual mins left on a clock, Etcheverry ran onto a brief pass in midfield, before powering past several players down a left inside channel. Then only when it looked like El Diablo had taken it too far, he swung in a low suppositional cranky from a byline that Taffarel let trip between his legs and deflected into a net.

The overjoyed throng during a Hernando Siles were still celebrating a notation after as Brazil threw group brazen in hunt of an equaliser. However, with minimal cover during a back, Bolivia would retaliate them dearly. Alvaro Pena, a second-half substitute, latched onto a shining turn from Etcheverry down a left, before temperament down on idea and side-footing a right-foot shot past Taffarel from a corner of a six-yard box. Moments later, a final alarm blew to endorse Brazil’s initial ever subordinate better and start one of biggest sporting celebrations in Bolivia’s history.

The Star
That evening, like so many others in a story of Bolivian football, belonged to their mythological No. 10, Marco Etcheverry. El Diablo (The Devil), still a long-haired 22-year-old, valid a calamity for a Brazilian counterclaim and crowned an memorable arrangement with dual of a game’s pivotal moves: a absolute run and cranky that squirmed opposite a line for a opening goal, and a wealthy support he done for a second. And all while personification with a ripped flesh for many of a game.

They Said
“That last-minute idea opposite Brazil was one of a high points of my career. we remember ripping an abductor flesh after only 10 mins though motionless to play on. Still, it was value my while in a end. we mean, if I’d left off, who was going to get us a goal? It’s fathomable we wouldn’t have competent for that World Cup. It was one of a many pleasing evenings of my life.”
Bolivia midfielder Marco Etcheverry.

What Happened Next…
That 2-0 feat supposing an useful spirit boost to Bolivia en track to USA 1994. Azkargorta’s side won all their games on home soil, securing their finals berth on 19 Sep 1993 with a 1-1 pull opposite Ecuador in Quito. Brazil, for their part, exacted punish over La Verde with a 6-0 drubbing in Recife, before securing tip mark and a place during a finals interjection to a 2-0 win over Uruguay on a final matchday.

Thus Bolivia distinguished their initial gift for a FIFA World Cup, though their fun was short-lived. The group bent out after a initial turn in a USA and have not been behind during football’s premier eventuality since. A Seleção, by contrast, duly claimed their fourth universe pretension after violence Italy in a chastisement shootout in a Final.

Article source: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2008/m=7/news=historic-firsts-for-bolivia-and-brazil-825472.html