Paulista champions of 1975 | OneFootball

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

The story of that title, however, begins a little over nine months earlier, when Tricolor, on November 10, 1974, at Pacaembu, lost 2-1 to Palmeiras in a match valid for that season’s Paulistão. The scoreline, apparently irrelevant to posterity, would mark the start 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 for the Campeonato Paulista (either 1974 – eight matches, or 1975 – 31 matches).

It was in the midst of this fine run that the Tricolor side coached by Jose Poy began its 1975 Paulistão campaign. The tournament had one of the most controversial and complicated formats of all time, with rule changes during the competition.

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

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

On March 2, 1975, Tricolor made a great start to the competition, thrashing Paulista de Jundiaí 4-0 at Morumbis, with goals from Chicão, Muricy, Zé Carlos and Serginho Chulapa. The team kept up the pace by beating Comercial in Ribeirão Preto 2-0 and Ferroviária, with another home rout, 4-0. After a goalless draw with Guarani in front of São Paulo fans, 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, making light work of their rival. Full of confidence, São Paulo kept winning, with victories over 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 run.

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

After beating São Bento 2-1 and Saad 1-0, Tricolor arrived in Bauru on May 18, 1975 with the chance to clinch the Campeonato Paulista first-stage title in advance (and thus secure a place in the tournament final), as well as bring another important trophy back to Morumbis: the Taça dos Invictos.

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 state capital. As finalists, they ended the first stage with 15 wins, three draws and 33 points: six more than second-placed Corinthians.

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

That gave the team even more momentum, and they dominated their opponents in the opening phase of the return stage. Tricolor collected eight wins and two draws in ten matches during that stretch, including another victory over Santos, 1-0, and a 5-0 thrashing of Noroeste at Pacaembu. The 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 entire tournament, jammed at that moment. The team drew with Portuguesa and Palmeiras and beat only América, from São José do Rio Preto, before unfortunately losing their historic 47-match unbeaten run 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, tied 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 main event, after São Paulo and Corinthians faced off. Both Santos and São Paulo won (1-0 and 2-1, respectively), creating great 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, an América walk-off against Portuguesa, which awarded the points to Lusa, was being challenged in the TJD by both São Paulo and Santos. After the hexagonal ended, São Paulo also took the regulations to court.

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

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

The showdown promised to be tight. 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 sequence 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 and a ball recovered by Muricy, scored the goal that gave São Paulo victory in the first Paulistão final.

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

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

All the goals, points and advantages accumulated by São Paulo throughout that long championship counted for nothing. There would be 30 more minutes of extra time. If nothing changed even 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, next, doubled the lead. And Tatá, right after, could not beat the giant São Paulo keeper between the posts, who once again saved Portuguesa’s kick. Midfielder Chicão converted the third attempt and put all the pressure on Wilsinho.

This time Waldir did not even need to save it—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

17.08.1975São 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 paying

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.