1975 Paulista champions | OneFootball

On August 17, 1975, São Paulo defeated Portuguesa 3-0 on penalties, after a 1-1 aggregate score over two decisive matches, and won the 1975 Campeonato Paulista, the 11th title in the club’s history.

The story of that title, however, begins a little more than nine months earlier, when Tricolor, on November 10, 1974, at Pacaembu, lost 2-1 to Palmeiras in a match valid for that season’s Paulista championship. The scoreline, seemingly irrelevant to posterity, would mark the beginning of a run that São Paulo fans have never seen repeated to this day: 47 matches unbeaten.

From November 13, 1974, to August 3, 1975, São Paulo did not know defeat. There were 36 wins and 11 draws, with 39 of those matches counting toward the Campeonato Paulista (either the 1974 edition — eight matches — or the 1975 edition — 31 matches).

It was in the midst of this brilliant campaign that the Tricolor led by coach José Poy began its 1975 Paulista journey. The tournament had one of the most controversial and complicated formats of all time, with rule changes during the competition itself.

It was contested by 19 teams over two stages, with the winners of each stage playing for the title in a two-match final, if no team managed to win both stages. So far, so good. However, while the first stage was decided simply in a round-robin format, the second…

The teams were split into two groups, of 10 and 9 clubs, and faced only opponents from the other group, with the top three from each side advancing to a single round-robin hexagonal, which would finally determine the champion of the second stage.

On March 2, 1975, Tricolor made a superb debut in the competition, thrashing Paulista de Jundiaí 4-0 at Morumbis, with goals from Chicão, Muricy, Zé Carlos, and Serginho Chulapa. The team kept the momentum going, beating Comercial in Ribeirão Preto 2-0, and Ferroviária with another home rout, 4-0. After a scoreless draw with Guarani in front of São Paulo supporters, more wins followed against Marília, at Pacaembu, 2-1, and América, in São José do Rio Preto, 1-0.

São Paulo’s first derby in the competition was the Majestoso, on March 29, at Pacaembu. And, thanks to goals from Serginho Chulapa and Pedro Rocha, Tricolor beat Corinthians 2-0, brushing their rival aside. With confidence soaring, São Paulo kept marching on, with wins against XV de Piracicaba, 1-0; Portuguesa Santista, 1-0; Ponte Preta, 2-1; Botafogo, 1-0; and Juventus, 3-2, drawing only with Portuguesa, 0-0, in the second match of that stretch.

On May 4, Santos came to Morumbis intending to end Tricolor’s unbeaten run, which could reach 30 matches there. However, Pedro Rocha, with two goals, prevented Santos’s plans from coming to fruition, and São Paulo won 2-0.

After beating São Bento 2-1 and Saad 1-0, Tricolor arrived in Bauru on May 18, 1975, able to clinch the first-stage title of the Campeonato Paulista ahead of schedule (and thus secure a place in the tournament final), while also having the chance to take another important trophy back to Morumbis: the Invincibles Cup.

And that is exactly what happened: even with a simple 0-0 draw against Noroeste, São Paulo won both titles and brought several trophies back to the club’s gallery in the capital of São Paulo. As finalists, they ended the first stage with 15 wins, three draws, and 33 points: six more than Corinthians, in second place.

The turbulent second stage began with another derby, the Choque-Rei, on May 25, with the opposition desperate to bring São Paulo’s historic run to an end. There was plenty of chatter and provocation, but in the end São Paulo, with a goal from Pedro Rocha (from a free kick), rose above it all and won yet again.

That set the tone for the team to build even more momentum and dominate their opponents in the opening phase of the return stage. Tricolor recorded eight wins and two draws in the ten matches of the period, including another victory over Santos, 1-0, and a 5-0 thrashing of Noroeste at Pacaembu. First place and the points earned in the group, however, would be useless for the hexagonal that followed.

The São Paulo machine, which had worked so well throughout the tournament, stalled at that moment. The team drew with Portuguesa and Palmeiras and beat only América of São José do Rio Preto before, unfortunately, losing the historic 47-match unbeaten streak against Santos at Morumbis on August 7, 1975, when they were beaten 2-1 by the coastal side.

To make matters worse, the result left the team with only four points in the hexagonal, level with Santos and behind Portuguesa, who had six points, with only one round left to decide the second-stage champion. On August 10, the absurd triple-header at Morumbis would determine the winner.

Eliminated sides Palmeiras and América would play the curtain-raiser, while Santos and Portuguesa would feature in the late match, after São Paulo and Corinthians faced off. The San-São duo won (1-0 and 2-1, respectively), which created major confusion that nearly brought the championship to a halt in sports court: a three-way tie.

São Paulo, Santos, and Portuguesa finished the hexagonal with six points each. However, América’s abandonment of its match against Portuguesa, which awarded the points to Lusa, was being challenged at the TJD by São Paulo and Santos. After the end of the hexagonal, São Paulo also took the regulations to court.

The Paulista Federation and Portuguesa argued that the tiebreaker criterion, goal difference, should only be counted from the final hexagonal onward — which would make Lusa champions. The Morumbi side, however, argued that the calculations should include the opening phase of the second stage. After all, what was at stake in that hexagonal was the title of that stage, the whole stage. That interpretation would give São Paulo not only the return-stage title, but also the overall title.

As it happened, due to an oversight by those who approved the regulations, that was not what the text actually said. Only the hexagonal counted. Thus, São Paulo and Portuguesa would decide the 1975 Campeonato Paulista in two matches at Morumbis.

The showdown promised to be fierce. To give an idea, the previous ten matches between these two teams had all ended in draws. In other words, since July 11, 1973, neither side had beaten the other. As a side note: it remains São Paulo’s longest run of draws against any opponent to this day.

Going against all predictions, however, on Thursday night, August 14, 1975, Pedro Rocha, in the 46th minute of the first half, after a cross from Terto on a ball recovered by Muricy, scored the goal that gave São Paulo victory in the first Paulista final.

Three days later, however, Enéas overturned São Paulo’s advantage with a first-half goal. To make matters worse, Muricy was sent off a few minutes later because of a dive by Dicá, which earned São Paulo’s forward a red card from Dulcídio Wanderley Boschilia.

Tricolor, despite being a man down, did not sit back, and the match remained open, with both teams wasting several good chances. Yet the minutes ran out and no one found the net again.

All the goals, points, and advantages São Paulo had built up over that long championship counted for nothing. There would be another 30 minutes of extra time. If nothing changed then, penalties. And nothing changed.

In the shootout, one name would rise above all others: goalkeeper Waldir Peres.

Pedro Rocha stepped up first for Tricolor: goal. Waldir then shone and saved Dicá’s shot. Serginho Chulapa followed by doubling the lead. And shortly afterward Tatá could not beat the giant São Paulo keeper between the posts, who once again saved Portuguesa’s kick. Defensive midfielder Chicão converted the third attempt and put all the pressure on Wilsinho.

This time Waldir did not even need to make a save, as the opponent shot wide, the crowd invaded the pitch to celebrate and carry the Tricolor keeper on their shoulders, and São Paulo were crowned 1975 Paulista champions!

Title match

08.17.1975São Paulo (SP)Estádio Cícero Pompeu de Toledo (Morumbi)Associação PORTUGUESA de Desportos 1 X 0 SÃO PAULO Futebol ClubeRegular Time: APD 1 x 0 SPFC; Extra Time: APD 0 x 0 SPFC. On penalties, 3-0 to SPFC.

APD: Zecão; Cardoso, Mendes, Calegari and Santos; Badeco and Dicá; Antônio Carlos, Enéas, Tatá and Wilsinho.Goal: Enéas, 31’/1.

SPFC: Waldir Peres; Nelson, Paranhos, Samuel and Gilberto Sorriso; Chicão, Pedro Rocha and Zé Carlos (Silva); Terto, Serginho and Muricy. Coach: José Poy.Sent off: Muricy

Referee: Dulcídio Wanderley BoschillaGate: CR$ 1,268,735.00Attendance: 57,137 paid

Campaign

First Stage02.03.1975 – 4 X 0 – PAULISTA Futebol Clube (SP)05.03.1975 – 2 X 0 – COMERCIAL Futebol Clube (Ribeirão Preto – SP)08.03.1975 – 4 X 0 – Associação FERROVIÁRIA de Esportes (SP)16.03.1975 – 0 X 0 – GUARANI Futebol Clube (SP)19.03.1975 – 2 X 1 – MARÍLIA Atlético Clube (SP)23.03.1975 – 1 X 0 – AMÉRICA Futebol Clube (São José do Rio Preto – SP)29.03.1975 – 2 X 0 – Sport Club CORINTHIANS Paulista (SP)05.04.1975 – 1 X 0 – Esporte Clube XV de Novembro (Piracicaba – SP)13.04.1975 – 0 X 0 – Associação PORTUGUESA de Desportos (SP)16.04.1975 – 1 X 0 – Associação Atlética PORTUGUESA (Santos – SP)20.04.1975 – 2 X 1 – Associação Atlética PONTE PRETA (SP)23.04.1975 – 1 X 0 – BOTAFOGO Futebol Clube (Ribeirão Preto – SP)26.04.1975 – 3 X 2 – Clube Atlético JUVENTUS (SP)04.05.1975 – 2 X 0 – SANTOS Futebol Clube (SP)07.05.1975 – 2 X 1 – Esporte Club SÃO BENTO (SP)10.05.1975 – 1 X 0 – SAAD Esporte Clube (SP)18.05.1975 – 0 X 0 – Esporte Clube NOROESTE (SP)25.05.1975 – 1 X 0 – Sociedade Esportiva PALMEIRAS (SP)

Second Stage29.05.1975 – 3 X 0 – Associação Atlética PORTUGUESA (Santos – SP)01.06.1975 – 3 X 1 – MARÍLIA Atlético Clube (SP)08.06.1975 – 1 X 1 – Associação PORTUGUESA de Desportos (SP)15.06.1975 – 1 X 0 – PAULISTA Futebol Clube (SP)25.06.1975 – 3 X 0 – Esporte Club SÃO BENTO (SP)29.06.1975 – 1 X 0 – SANTOS Futebol Clube (SP)05.07.1975 – 3 X 1 – COMERCIAL Futebol Clube (Ribeirão Preto – SP)10.07.1975 – 5 X 0 – Esporte Clube NOROESTE (SP)13.07.1975 – 4 X 2 – BOTAFOGO Futebol Clube (Ribeirão Preto – SP)20.07.1975 – 1 X 1 – Sociedade Esportiva PALMEIRAS (SP)

Second Stage Hexagonal27.07.1975 – 1 X 1 – Associação PORTUGUESA de Desportos (SP)30.07.1975 – 1 X 0 – AMÉRICA Futebol Clube (São José do Rio Preto – SP)03.08.1975 – 0 X 0 – Sociedade Esportiva PALMEIRAS (SP)07.08.1975 – 1 X 2 – SANTOS Futebol Clube (SP)10.08.1975 – 2 X 1 – Sport Club CORINTHIANS Paulista (SP)

The competition’s top scorer

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.