Like Amazon River, Brazilian football is humongous, difficult to navigate, overwhelming, defying understanding and description, easy to get lost, treacherous, dominant. The championship of Brazil was also called Copa Brazil – the 5th issue of the tournament. There was no league, the championship went throw meandering stages and teams played vastly different number of games – from 3 to 23 – but there was nevertheless a final table. In which points meant absolutely nothing. There was no promotion and relegation – clubs participated by invitation. But this was not the only championship and it is doubtful it was the most important too. There were the state leagues, inter-state rivalries, various other tournaments – domestic and international. Even players are difficult to trace, since most are nicknamed and often the same name appears again and again in the squads of many clubs. Politics, influence, and corruption played major roles – like piranhas and anacondas in the Amazon. The championship was getting larger every year – 94 clubs played in 1979. Even listing them is difficult, yet, those were hardly a large percentage of the total number of existing clubs. Countless more were outside and not only small fry. Santos did not participate in Copa Brasil – perhaps the most famous club out. Also Bangu. Nor Corinthians.
Corinthians with sensational Socrates did not play in the national championship. Too weak? Not invited? Not wanting? However, the question mark would be on the championship itself – surely a barely known club would be worse than this team here.
Lesser known – but known! – clubs were also out. Like Taubate.
Taubate still won a trophy this year – champions not playing on national scale.
Of course, most of the ‘missing’ clubs were never heard of outside of Brazil and even there their fame was local. Here is a glimpse of the unknown:
Capivariano – curiously blond-looking team: standing from left: Wilson, Ze Guilherme, Sergio, Milo, Alemao, ?
First row: Toninho, Brecho, Moises, Miro, Mauro.
Palmeiras Blumenau, Amazonas state. Standing, from left: Valmir, Nilson, Pedrão, Dito-Cola, Saulo, Valmir.
First row: Miltinho, Márcio, Braúlio, Kituta, Ednei.
Flamengo Varginha, Sao Paulo.
America Sao Jose Rio Preto, Sao Paulo – note the fans on the stands. Quite many for unheard-of club.
One more from Paulista championhsips – Palmeiras Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Champions of something.
Two former Botafogo players here.
Careful with those names… too often they are the same. This is Vitoria – but not the well known from Salvador, Bahia. This one is from Vitoria, Espirito Santo.
One more club not even known, yet with a trophy – international one this time: Vitoria won the 9th President Park Chung-Hee Cup in South Korea. Today the tournament is known as Korea Cup, Vitoria is still unknown.