The 63rd anniversary is just a few days away: it was July 16, 1950 when Brazil experienced one of the greatest sporting dramas (but not only) in its history, losing the World Cup at home against Uruguay, in the same Maracana stadium which hosts a semifinal of the Confederations Cup that smacks of revenge and above all a starter for the next World Cup, which this time the green-and-gold won't want to fail to bring home by chasing away the nightmares of that 1-2 draw against Schiaffino and his companions.
The Maracanazo was called that legendary enterprise near Montevideo and known throughout the world for the almost tragic consequences it had among the population, amidst depression, threats to players, even suicides and a funeral climate that today, faced with the real problem of popular uprisings, appears somewhat anachronistic. Just as it will be unthinkable to repeat that scenario, not only because this time, unlike then, the Uruguayan anthem will be played and applauded sportingly, but above all because objectively the chances that the national team "charrùa" will repeat that feat are quite small.
In any case, Cavani and his companions will try, even if the real appointment, the one most feared by the hosts, is still in this legendary stadium in a year's time: however, Celeste is not yet sure of being there, they must qualify and their position in the South American group, compromised until a month ago, is now however very delicate. If he doesn't make it, there won't be any Maracanazo-bis, but not even the possibility for the proud Brazilians to erase that shame. A concept, that of shame, which in modern football, moreover in a moment of social tensions like this, almost no longer exists. That's why tonight in Rio de Janeiro, despite everything, will only be a football match.
