Obdulio Varela

Obdulio Jacinto Muiños Varela ( born September 20, 1917 in Montevideo, † August 2, 1996 ) was a Uruguayan football player. He was captain of the national team, the world champion in Brazil in 1950.

Association

At the age of 13 he began to earn his money with the Car Care Hotel del Prado, then he sold newspapers in Paso Molino. Having first played in smaller teams like Fortaleza, Dublin and Pascual Somma in the local district football, he joined the 1937 at that time in the Divisional de intermedia of the Asociación de Fútbol Uruguaya playing Deportivo Juventud on. Subsequently he moved to the Montevideo Wanderers for whom he ran aground a total of five seasons long. In 1938 he gave his debut there. Varela graduated 139 games for the club, in which he scored 13 goals. Then he joined Peñarol. The Aurinegros he was a member from 1943 to 1955 and was with the club six times Uruguayan champion. Ten years later, his previously playing for Liverpool FC nephew Luis Varela gave also rise to Peñarol.

National

Varela also had African ancestors and was named because of his dark skin and his leadership role on the court El Negro Jefe ( The Black Chief ). He distinguished himself in that it showed a high willingness to run and both the defensive and offensive area was outstanding. Already at 22 he became an international and played in 1939 for the first time for the Celeste. 1940, 1946 and 1948, he led the national team of Uruguay already successful in the Baron de Rio Branco Cup. Career highlight was the World Cup in 1950, when Uruguay defeated the Brazilian team in the Maracanastadion in Rio de Janeiro 2-1. Varela was the captain of this team and led it to victory. In the crucial last game of the final group of four teams ( in which each competing against each had ) the time Brazil in the match against Uruguay, only a draw to win the World Cup, and was the beginning of the second half 1-0 ahead. But Uruguay won the upper hand and scored twice in front of an audience of 200,000 viewers.

This victory, also known as " Maracanaço " was considered miraculous, established a myth and made Varela in the eyes of the football-mad population of Uruguay immortal. At the age of 37, he traveled with the national team to Switzerland to defend the title at the 1954 World Cup. At that time he was the oldest player to have ever participated in a World Cup. Scotland and Czechoslovakia were beaten in the first round without problems before Uruguay England with a 4-2 beating in the quarterfinals. Varela pulled in this game, an injury to his leg. At that time there were no substitutes, so he had the full 90 minutes heavily bandaged play to the end.

Varela and two other key players were not in time healthy for the semi-final against Hungary, Uruguay and lost 2:4 after extra time. Varela ended his World Cup career undefeated after seven games. Overall Varela graduated from his debut on 29 January 1939 until his last mission on June 26, 1954 45 international matches in which he scored nine goals.

Achievements

  • Uruguay: Copa América 1942
  • World Cup 1950
  • Fourth in the 1954 World Cup
  • Peñarol: Uruguayan champion: 1944, 1945, 1949, 1951, 1953 and 1954

Awards

1994 Varela was awarded the FIFA Order of Merit.

Miracle
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