MX23RW : Thursday, November 7 20:49:49| >> :120:6722:6722:

How Eusebio became an English hero

Sports Mole looks back on how Eusebio became such an admired figure by English football supporters.

In the summer of 1966, England, as a nation, rejoiced. The inhabitants had seen their football team take on the world in their own backyard and emerge victorious.

The bedroom walls of children up and down the country would be covered in posters of Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and the like for years to come. They would, however, be accompanied by a Mozambique-born striker who represented Portugal.

Eusebio da Silva Ferreira ended the tournament with nine goals to his name, earning himself the coveted Golden Boot award in the process as the Portuguese team finished third. He found the net against the defending champions and the eventual winners, although his best was to come during a quarter-final tie against North Korea.

Going into the competition, Eusebio had plundered in 200 goals during six seasons with Benfica. Remember, though, this was at a time when we were not entranced by 24-hour, wall-to-wall sports news. Live English matches were few and far between, let alone those from overseas. The frontman was largely an unknown quantity.

However, there will have been some English supporters who had seen 'The Black Panther' in the flesh following his goal during Benfica's 2-1 European Cup final defeat to AC Milan at Wembley in 1963. Those who remained in the dark as to his capabilities would be enlightened three years later.

After a quiet performance in the opening group match against Hungary, Eusebio fired in his first goal of the competition against Bulgaria, before notching a brace against Pele's Brazil, who had won the previous two World Cups, in front of 62,000 spectators at Goodison Park. It would be the start of his love affair with not just England, but Merseyside in particular.

Three wins from three sent Portugal into the last eight, where they would meet the unexpected package that was North Korea, again at the home of Everton. The Koreans raced into a three-goal lead within the first 25 minutes, but four goals in a 32-minute spell from Eusebio overturned that deficit, with the Portuguese eventually winning through 5-3.

Speaking to Everton's official website four years ago, Eusebio said: "I have got very fond memories of this particular stadium because I scored four goals against Korea and two against Brazil.

"When I was having lunch with the Everton board, I was remembering the occasion because it was at that point that I felt I became a world-class player. That was my signature, really, as a top quality player."

The semi-finals paired Portugal with hosts England and although Eusebio shone, his goal from the penalty spot was not enough as they lost out 2-1, with his future friend Charlton scoring twice. Eusebio left the Wembley turf in tears, but he regained his composure to score again during a 2-1 win over the Soviet Union to seal third spot. From that moment on, he would be revered by the English public.

Two years later, Eusebio, if possible, further enhanced his reputation among the folk from these shores. His Benfica team had reached the final of the 1968 European Cup at Wembley, where they would take on Manchester United. With the score level at 1-1, Eusebio had the chance to win the game for his club, but his powerful shot was stopped by Alex Stepney, much to the striker's astonishment.

So surprised, he stood inside the penalty area and applauded the United goalkeeper as play continued. United, inspired by Charlton, went on to win 4-1 after extra time and so Euesbio had been toppled by the English, who admired him greatly, again.

The news of Eusebio's passing earlier today has been met with great sadness across the globe, none more so than those in England who witnessed him first-hand during the 1960s.

ID:128460: cacheID:128460:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5943:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Former Manchester United winger Willie Morgan.
Read Next:
Interview: Former Man United winger Willie Morgan
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!