World Cup foe Masopust always welcome in Brazil  Jun 22, 2013
Josef Masopust's childhood dream of scoring a goal and leading
Czechoslovakia to victory in the World Cup final seemed set to
come true for one minute on a sunny afternoon in June 1962.  The
greatest Czech player of all time, and the first eastern
European to become European Footballer of the Year, scored with
a close-range shot after 15 minutes to put them 1-0 up against
holders Brazil in the showpiece match in Santiago, Chile.
"Well, for one minute at least that day we were champions of the
world," a tanned and healthy Masopust, now an 82-year-old great-
grandfather, said.  "But then Brazil equalised almost
immediately when Amarildo scored and in the second half they
scored two more from Zito and Vava and beat us 3-1. It was
disappointing to lose, of course, but the legacy from that time
has lasted all these years."  A general view of an exhibition
soccer match during the re-opening of the newly renovated
Macarana Stadium. Reuters   Over half a