In that tournament, the first televised to the World, he played six matches and scored seven goals. He is the only player to have scored in every match at a World Cup Final. He played across the front four but preferred the right wing. Rivelino, Pele, and Gerson all saw themselves as withdrawn attackers, so they can be seen all over the pitch, but Jairzinho stands out because of his willingness to continually move and make runs off Tostão to create space for other players. Whereas Pele dropped deep to draw defenders away from their line and Tostão acted as the focal point for passing moves, Jairzinho ran and ran and ran.
Jairzinho’s defining moment for the Seleção was his goal against Uruguay in the 1970 World Cup semifinal, and watching the replay, his role and nickname are evident. Heading into the match, many members of the Brazil squad were nervous, haunted still by the memory of the nation’s loss to Uruguay in 1950. In this game those sins were put to rest, and The Hurricane provided the absolution. The Furacão said it best himself – “when I took off with the ball it was hard to stop me.”
Brazil’s move itself only took eleven seconds and covered nearly the entire length of the pitch. It began with an errant Uruguayan pass to Jairzinho, near the edge of Brazil’s box. Eleven seconds and three passes later Jairzinho tucks the ball past Uruguay’s keeper. This goal typifies the greatness of the 1970 squad and illustrates the squad’s approach to total football – all eleven players were able to attack and defend simultaneously.
Unfortunately for Uruguay, the attack revolves around preternatural Seleção teamwork and the speed of Jairzinho. Each player knows precisely where his teammate is without taking an extra touch or needing a moment to look forward. Pele, without looking and a defender closing him down, flicks the ball to Tostão. All the while, Jairzinho jets down the field. The Uruguayan defender looks like he is running in mud as Jairzinho bears down on him. The move is finished off as the Hurricane touches the through ball from Tostão towards net, and then rolls the ball across the face of goal.
