Boston’s history with Santos & the Seleção

Brazilian teams have been visiting the Boston area since Pelé led Santos FC on a visit to Fenway Park nearly 50 years ago. The match marked a milestone in modern soccer promotion for the area, attracting 18,431 on July 9, 1968, indicating soccer could be a viable professional sport in Boston, after decades of the sport having been shunted aside.

Santos’ 7-1 victory over the Boston Beacons also attracted mainstream media attention, which was not easy to do. Prominent bylines included Peter Gammons, Leigh Montville, Marvin Pave, Bob Sales. The stories were complimentary about Santos’ performance, Pelé earning plenty of praise. And nearly every story made the same factual error, stating Santos had twice won the World Cup. Remarkably, at that time, even the best and brightest of mainstream journalism had difficulty distinguishing between club and country competitions.

By the time the Brazil national team arrived in Foxborough, in 2007, the general public seemed to understand the difference between clubs such as Santos and the Seleçao, which will be making its fifth appearance at Gillette Stadium in the Copa America Centenario.

But there was another Boston out there all those years ago, and it was composed of many who understood the attraction of soccer all along. Some of it was ethnic, some simply worldly.

And they were up for soccer when Santos FC returned, this time to meet AC Milan at Everett Stadium on June 17, 1970. The match did not gain much mainstream media coverage, partly because Pelé did not make the trip. And for good reason – he was playing for Brazil in the World Cup in Mexico, another event that did not receive much mainstream media attention.

The Globe report was confined to four paragraphs, noting Santos had defeated Milan, 1-0, before 4,500 spectators.

But there was more to the story. And there was more to the crowd, as well, according to Frank Mirisola, former supervisor of referees for Boston Public Schools, who acted as a linesman (assistant referee) in the game.

“There were 18,000 at the game,” Mirisola said in a recent interview. “Everett Stadium was a big horseshoe, with bleacher seats, and it held 20,000 at the time. There was a long line at the ticket booth before the game and once it started, all the people who were in line decided not to wait and they left.”

What about the discrepancy in crowd numbers in news reports?

“That happened a lot, because they didn’t want soccer to make it,” Mirisola said. “When we played Liverpool (in 1964) they said the crowd was 10,000. But it was 15,000 – I saw the ticket receipts.”

As it turned out, the Milan-Santos game became a reflection on what was happening at the World Cup in Mexico.

“I’ll never forget that day,” said Sal Lo Grasso, a South Boston restaurateur who played in the NASL. “I don’t remember the score of the (Milan-Santos) game but the World Cup was in Mexico, so they played at about the same time as here. And Italy played Germany and they won in overtime.

“I went to Lechmere and bought a short wave radio for $225. That was a lot of money at that time, but it was worth it. I brought it to Everett Stadium and we listened to the game.”

As events progressed, it became apparent Brazil and Italy would be meeting in the World Cup final, scheduled four days later. At stake would be the Jules Rimet Cup itself, both nations having captured two titles, the first to three set to retire the trophy.

And the Milan-Santos game became a preview of the World Cup final, the Brazilians winning, 1-0, on an 87^th-minute goal by midfielder Pitico. Though several players were missing – five Santistas (captain Carlos Alberto, Joel, Pelé, plus 20-year-olds Clodoaldo and Edu) and four Milanisti (Pierino Prati, Gianni Rivera, Roberto Rosato, Germany’s Karl-Heinz Schnellinger) were in Mexico – these were still two of the strongest club teams in the world.

If Italian supporters felt a sense of foreboding after the game at Everett Stadium, they were justified. Many arrived at Boston Arena for a closed circuit television broadcast of the June 21 final at Estadio Azteca, Brazil defeating Italy, 4-1. Pelé converted the opening goal, Carlos Alberto the final goal, and Clodoaldo played in the Brazil midfield. Rosato started on Italy’s back line but Rivera, who had helped Milan win the ’69 Champions Cup title, did not enter until the 84^th minute, a controversial tactical decision by coach Ferruccio Valcareggi.

“Soccer was big,” Lo Grasso said. “There were so many people from Italy, Portugal, all over.”

Despite the interest, soccer promoters soon deserted Boston. Several Serie A teams returned to play at Everett Stadium (since reduced in capacity), though there is no record of their games in the Globe archives. Santos played a total of five games in the Boston area, according to the website www.acervossantosfc.com — three against the “Boston Stars” and two against the “Astro Jetz.” There is documentation of the Boston Astros of the American Soccer League playing host to Santos twice but I have been unable to confirm the other two matches. Besides the game against Milan, the site lists Santos victories in 1970 on June 12 (8-0) and June 15 (7-3), plus a 1989 match. I am certain of at least one of those being contested, recalling Tony Frias pointing out many years ago the Hudson High School field where Santos had played. When I called Frias recently, he confirmed staging a Santos game there in 1970. Frias said the stadium was nearly full for what he called an “All-Star team” versus Santos, but he said an even bigger crowd would appear for an exhibition involving a local team and the British Navy’s HMS Eagle – a story for another day.

There would not be another major promotion involving a Brazilian club in the Boston area until 1997, when Palmeiras arrived to defeat the Revolution, 1-0, before 19,623 at Foxboro Stadium.

Meanwhile, despite what you might have read in 1968, the first time the Boston area hosted Brazil’s national team was not until 2007, and by then the Seleçao had won the World Cup five times.

The Brazil-Mexico match drew 67,584 at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 12, 2007. The crowd total remains a record for soccer in Foxborough. Unlike all those years ago, organizers realized they had found a receptive market and they capitalized – three of the top six Gillette soccer crowds have been for Brazil matches.

The combination of the Seleçao’s disastrous conclusion to the 2014 World Cup, plus high price points for tickets, led to a disappointing 29,308 showing for last year’s U.S.-Brazil match. The area’s soccer audience might no longer be predominantly ethnic, but it has become a discerning one.

NOTE: Peru defeated Brazil, 1-0, on a 75th-minute Raul Ruidiaz goal in the Copa Centenario before a crowd of 36,187  Gillette on June 12, 2016. Ruidiaz admitted to using his hand to score past Alisson.

NEW ENGLAND SOCCER JOURNAL / May 2016