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Brazil vs. Exeter City

The first Brazil national football team's match ever, played vs. English team Exeter City in 1914, with the Guanabara Palace in the background
Event	Friendly match
Brazil Exeter City F.C. 2 0
Date	21 July 1914 (1914-07-21)
Venue	Estádio das Laranjeiras, Rio de Janeiro
Referee	Harry Robinson (ENG)
Attendance	5,000

Brazil vs. Exeter City F.C. was the first match involving the Brazil national football team. The match was part of the Exeter City tour of South America where the team played against Argentine and Brazilian teams, just like other British clubs toured before and after during the first years of football in the region.

History

The match was played on July 21, 1914 on the field of Fluminense FC, located at Rua das Laranjeiras, in a high class area on the south side of Rio de Janeiro. Brazil played Exeter City, then a third tier club in England, who were touring South America.

The newly formed Brazilian Sports Federation (Portuguese: Federação Brazileira de Sports), FBS, brought together the best players in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Among those called up were great early names of Brazilian football: Marcos de Mendonça, Friedenreich, Abelardo De Lamare, Rubens Salles and Sílvio Lagreca.

Exeter had previously won two friendlies in Rio de Janeiro - first, they won 3–0 against English players who competed in the sport's championships in Rio de Janeiro, and then overcame Rio de Janeiro 5–3 - and were favourites to win. However, in a display of skill and technique that surprised the Exeter City players, Brazil beat their opponents 2-0, with goals from Oswaldo Gomes – the first in the team's history – and Osman, both in the first half of the match. Astonished and powerless to react, the English resorted to violence. Despite the appetite of their foreign rivals, light and leisurely football by Brazilians prevailed.

More than a hundred years later, Exeter City is proud to have participated in the birth of the Brazil national team. At its home stadium, St James Park in Exeter, the Britons have hoisted the flags of Brazil. From the stands, one of The Grecians (The Greeks) fans' songs alludes to the historic clash with Brazil:

Have you ever, have you ever

Have you ever played Brazil?

Have you ever played Brazil?

— Exeter City F.C. supporters chorus

Match details

Brazil	2–0	Exeter City
Oswaldo Gomes 28' Osman 36'	Report

Brazil

Exeter City

GK Marcos de Mendonça DF Píndaro DF Nery MF Sílvio Lagreca MF Rubens Salles MF Rolando de Lamare FW Abelardo de Lamare FW Oswaldo Gomes FW Arthur Friedenreich FW Osman Medeiros FW Formiga Manager: Sílvio Lagreca and Rubens Salles

GK Reginald Loram DF Jack Fort DF Samuel Strettle MF James Rigby MF James Lagan MF Gus Harding FW Harold Holt FW Fred Whittaker FW William Hunter FW William Lovett FW Fred Goodwin Manager: Arthur Chadwick

See also

• History of the Brazil national football team
• History of Exeter City F.C.
• Brazil national football team results (unofficial matches)
• British football clubs tours to South America

References

1. Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (29 October 2012). "2 a 0, no primeiro jogo da história" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 15 March 2022.
2. Antônio Carlos Napoleão; Roberto Assaf (2006). Seleção Brasileira 1914 - 2006 (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro: Editora Mauad. ISBN 9788574781860.
3. "Quem foram os primeiros jogadores a defender a centenária Seleção Brasileira" (in Portuguese). O Guia dos Curiosos. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
4. Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (21 July 2015). "Primeiro jogo da Seleção Brasileira completa 101 anos" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 15 March 2022.
5. "The English connection: how Exeter City led to the creation of the Brazil national team". thesefootballtimes.co. 21 January 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
6. Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (21 July 2018). "Há 104 anos, Seleção Brasileira vencia primeira partida profissional" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 15 March 2022.

• Brazil national football team matches
• Exeter City F.C. matches
• 1914 in Brazilian football
• July 1914 sports events