View source for 1981 Intercontinental Cup

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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox football match
| title                   = 1981 Intercontinental Cup
| image                   = ToyotaCup1981.jpg
| image_size = 200
| caption                 = Match programme cover, depicting [[Kenny Dalglish]] and [[Zico (footballer)|Zico]]
| team1                   = [[Clube de Regatas do Flamengo|Flamengo]]
| team1association        = {{flagicon|BRA|size=30px}}
| team1score              = 3
| team2                   = [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
| team2association        = {{flagicon|ENG|size=30px}}
| team2score              = 0
| details                 =
| date                    = 13 December 1981
| stadium                 = [[National Stadium (Tokyo, 1958)|National Stadium]]
| city                    = [[Tokyo]]
| man_of_the_match1a      = [[Zico (footballer)|Zico]] ([[Clube de Regatas do Flamengo|Flamengo]])<ref name=mom>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablest/toyotamvp.html |title=Toyota Cup – Most Valuable Player of the Match Award |publisher=Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation |date=30 December 2019 |access-date=3 May 2020 |first=Marcelo |last=Leme de Arruda }}</ref>
| man_of_the_match1atitle =
| man_of_the_match1b      =
| man_of_the_match1btitle =
| referee                 = Mario Rubio Vázquez ([[Mexican Football Federation|Mexico]])<ref name=lfchistory>{{cite web|url=https://www.lfchistory.net/SeasonArchive/Game/1243 |title=Liverpool 0–3 Flamengo |publisher=LFC History|access-date=1 May 2020}}</ref>
| attendance              = 62,000
| weather                 =
| previous                = [[1980 Intercontinental Cup|1980]]
| next                    = [[1982 Intercontinental Cup|1982]]
}}
The '''1981 Intercontinental Cup''' was an [[association football]] match between [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] of England and [[Clube de Regatas do Flamengo|Flamengo]] of Brazil on 13 December 1981 at the [[National Stadium (Tokyo, 1958)|National Stadium]] in [[Tokyo]], Japan. The annual [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]] was contested between the winners of the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] and [[Copa Libertadores]]. Flamengo qualified for the Intercontinental Cup for the first time following their Copa Libertadores Cup success. Liverpool were also appearing in their first Intercontinental Cup. They had declined to take part in 1977 and 1978 after they won the European Cup. On 27 October 2017, following a meeting held in [[Kolkata]], India, the [[FIFA Council]] recognised the winners of Intercontinental Cup as world champions.<ref name=FIFACouncil>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/who-we-are/news/fifa-council-approves-key-organisational-elements-of-the-fifa-world-cu-2917722|title=FIFA Council approves key organisational elements of the FIFA World Cup|date=27 October 2017|access-date=3 March 2021|publisher=FIFA}}</ref>

Liverpool qualified for the Intercontinental Cup by winning the primary European cup competition, the European Cup. They won the [[1980–81 European Cup]] defeating Spanish team [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]] 1–0 in the [[1981 European Cup Final|final]]. Flamengo qualified by winning the primary South American cup competition, the Copa Libertadores. They beat Chilean team [[C.D. Cobreloa|Cobreloa]] 2–0 in a playoff after the previous ties finished 2–2 on points to win the [[1981 Copa Libertadores]].

Watched by a crowd of 62,000, Flamengo took the lead in the 12th minute when [[Nunes (footballer, born 1954)|João Batista Nunes]] scored. They extended their lead in the 34th minute when [[Adílio (footballer, born 1956)|Adílio]] added a second. A further goal was scored in the 41st minute by Nunes to give Flamengo a 3–0 lead at half-time. Liverpool were unable to respond in the second half and with no further goals scored, Flamengo won the match to secure their first victory in the Intercontinental Cup. It was the fourth successive victory by a South American team.

==Background==
[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] qualified for the [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]] as the reigning [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] winners. They won the [[1980–81 European Cup]] beating [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]] 1–0 in the [[1981 European Cup Final|final]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/feb/23/liverpool-real-madrid-1981-european-cup-final |title=When Thompson's men were kings of the Parc des Princes |work=The Guardian |date=23 February 2009 |access-date=3 May 2020 |first=Paul |last=Wilson }}</ref> This was their first appearance in the Intercontinental Cup. They had been scheduled to take place in [[1977 Intercontinental Cup|1977]] and 1978 but did not compete. They declined to play in 1977 and were replaced by runners-up [[Borussia Mönchengladbach]], while Liverpool decided against playing [[Boca Juniors]] in 1978 due to the brutality of previous Intercontinental Cup matches.<ref name=four>{{cite news|url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/liverpool-flamengo-club-world-cup-1981-1984-independiente-intercontinental-cup |title=How Liverpool's greatest team failed to rule the world in 1984 |work=FourFourTwo |date=21 December 2019 |access-date=17 April 2020 }}</ref>

[[Clube de Regatas do Flamengo|Flamengo]] qualified for the competition as a result of winning the [[1981 Copa Libertadores]]. They beat Chilean team [[C.D. Cobreloa|Cobreloa]] 2–0 in a playoff after the previous two-legs had resulted in a 2–2 draw on points.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/copa81.html |title=Copa Libertadores de América 1981 |publisher=Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation |date=7 March 2013 |access-date=17 April 2020 |first1=Frank |last1=Ballesteros |first2=Alan |last2=Cushway }}</ref> The second leg and replay were marred by brutality. Flamengo players [[Adílio (footballer, born 1956)|Adílio]] and [[Lico (footballer, born 1951)|Lico]] were cut by a rock brought onto the pitch by Cobreloa defender [[Mario Soto (footballer, born 1950)|Mario Soto]] during the second leg. While four players were sent off in the playoff.<ref name=guardian>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2019/dec/15/flamengo-liverpool-club-world-cup |title=Flamengo 3–0 Liverpool: the day Zico 'ran rings around the English' |work=The Guardian |date=15 December 2019 |access-date=29 April 2020 |first=Joshua |last=Law }}</ref> It was Flamengo's first appearance in the Intercontinental Cup after winning the Copa Libertadores for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablest/toyota.html |title=Intercontinental Club Cup |publisher=Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation |date=30 April 2005 |access-date=17 April 2020 |first1=Louis |last=Magnani |first2=Karel |last2=Stokkermans }}</ref>

Liverpool's last match before the Intercontinental Cup was against [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] in the fourth round of the [[1981–82 Football League Cup]]. They won 3–0 in extra time courtesy of goals from [[Craig Johnston]], [[Terry McDermott]] and [[Kenny Dalglish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lfchistory.net/SeasonArchive/Game/1244 |title=Liverpool 3–0 Arsenal |publisher=LFC History |access-date=26 April 2020 }}</ref> The last match Flamengo played before the Intercontinental Cup was against [[CR Vasco da Gama|Vasco de Gama]] in the final match of the [[1981 Campeonato Carioca]]. Flamengo won 2–1 with goals from [[Adílio (footballer, born 1956)|Adílio]] and [[Nunes (footballer, born 1954)|João Batista Nunes]] to win the competition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldsoccer.com/blogs/when-flamengo-and-zico-ruled-the-world-341585|title=When Flamengo and Zico ruled the world |work=World Soccer |date=14 July 2013 |access-date=1 May 2020 |first=Jamie |last=Rainbow }}</ref> Before the match, Liverpool manager [[Bob Paisley]] was informed of the death of goalkeeper, [[Bruce Grobbelaar]]'s father. It was decided to keep the news of the death from him to maintain his focus on the match.<ref name=guardian />

==Match==
===Summary===
The first chance fell to Flamengo in the 12th minute, which they scored from. [[Zico (footballer)|Zico]] passed to Nunes, who had run in between Liverpool defenders [[Phil Neal]] and [[Phil Thompson]]. The pass went over Thompson's head and Nunes placed the ball beyond Grobbelaar with his first touch to give Flamengo the lead. Ian Hargraves, writing in the ''[[Liverpool Daily Post]]'' stated that the first goal "was a shattering blow and one from which Liverpool never recovered."<ref name=dailypost>{{cite news|title=Lessons for Spain as Reds crumble |work=Liverpool Daily Post |date=14 December 1981 |first=Ian |last=Hargraves }}</ref> He also noted that "The Brazilians, playing their 77th game of the season, stroked the ball around with loving care and always had time to spare."<ref name=dailypost /> The next chance of the match fell to Flamengo defender [[Leovegildo Lins da Gama Júnior|Júnior]]. A corner taken by [[Tita (footballer, born 1958)|Tita]] found Júnior, who was {{convert|30|yd|m}} from goal, his volley was just wide of the Liverpool goal.<ref name=dailypost /> Soon after, Flamengo were awarded a free-kick when Liverpool midfielder [[Terry McDermott]] brought down Tita.<ref name=dailypost /> As Zico ran in to take the free-kick, a Flamengo player moved out of the wall in front of the Liverpool goal. This left a gap through which Zico's shot went, although Grobbelaar was able to stop the shot, the rebound fell to Adílio, who scored to give Flamengo a 2–0 lead.<ref name=lacey>{{cite news|title=Nunes twists the Brazilian knife |work=The Guardian |date=14 December 1981 |first=David |last=Lacey }}</ref> A third goal followed seven minutes later. Zico's pass put Nunes past the Liverpool defence and his precise shot from the right-hand side of the Liverpool penalty area went past Grobbelaar to give Flamengo a 3–0 lead.<ref name=lacey />

Flamengo nearly added a fourth goal before half time, but [[Andrade (footballer, born 1957)|Andrade]]'s shot was saved by Grobbelaar.<ref name=dailypost /> In the second half, Flamengo were content to protect the lead and played possession football for the most part. Liverpool continued to press for a goal and replaced McDermott with [[David Johnson (footballer, born 1951)|David Johnson]] early in the half. However, despite two shots on target from striker [[Craig Johnston]], who was playing his first match for Liverpool, they were unable to score a goal.<ref name=dailypost /> The match finished 3–0 to Flamengo to secure their first victory in the Intercontinental Cup.<ref>{{harvtxt|Hale|Ponting|1992|p=161}}</ref>

===Details===
{{footballbox
|date = 13 December 1981
|time = 12:00 [[Japan Standard Time|JST]]
|team1 = [[Clube de Regatas do Flamengo|Flamengo]] {{flagicon|BRA|1968}}
|score = 3–0
|team2 = {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|report = https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/match/61687/
|goals1 = 
*[[Nunes (footballer, born 1954)|Nunes]] {{goal|12||41}}
*[[Adílio (footballer, born 1956)|Adílio]] {{goal|34}}
|goals2 = 
|stadium = [[National Stadium (Tokyo, 1958)|National Stadium]], [[Tokyo]]
|attendance = 62,000<ref name=lfchistory />
|referee = Mario Rubio Vázquez ([[Mexican Football Federation|Mexico]])
}}

{| width=92% |
|-
|{{Football kit
 | pattern_la = _flamengo81a
 | pattern_b  = _flamengo81a
 | pattern_ra = _flamengo81a
 | pattern_sh = _flamengo80h
 |pattern_so  = _flamengo80hl
 | leftarm    = FF0000
 | body       = FFFFFF
 | rightarm   = FF0000
 | shorts     = FFFFFF
 | socks      = FF0000
 | title      = Flamengo
}}
|{{Football kit
 | pattern_la = _whiteborder
 | pattern_b  = _livfc7778h
 | pattern_ra = _whiteborder
 | leftarm    = FF0000
 | body       = FF0000
 | rightarm   = FF0000
 | shorts     = FF0000
 | socks      = FF0000
 | title      = Liverpool
}}
|}
{| width=100%
|valign="top" width="50%"|
{| style="font-size:90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center
|colspan="4"|
|-
!width=25| !!width=25|
|-
|GK ||'''1''' ||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Raul Plassmann]]
|-
|RB ||'''2''' ||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Leandro (footballer, born 1959)|Leandro]]
|-
|CB ||'''13''' ||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Marinho (footballer, born 1955)|Marinho]]
|-
|CB ||'''4''' ||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Carlos Mozer]]
|-
|LB ||'''5''' ||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Léo Júnior|Júnior]]
|-
|DM ||'''6''' ||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Andrade (footballer, born 1957)|Andrade]]
|-
|RM ||'''7''' ||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Tita (footballer, born 1958)|Tita]]
|-
|CM ||'''8''' ||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Adílio (footballer, born 1956)|Adílio]]
|-
|CM ||'''10''' ||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Zico (footballer)|Zico]] ([[Captain (association football)|c]])
|-
|LM ||'''11''' ||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Lico (footballer, born 1951)|Lico]]
|-
|CF ||'''9''' ||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Nunes (footballer, born 1954)|Nunes]]
|-
|colspan=3|'''Substitutes:'''
|-
|GK ||'''12'''||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Cantarele]]
|-
|DF ||'''3'''||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Cláudio Figueiredo Diz|Figueiredo]]
|-
|FW ||'''15'''||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Júlio dos Santos Ângelo|Peu]]
|-
|FW ||'''16'''||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Baroninho]]
|-
|DF ||'''17'''||{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Nei Dias]]
|-
|colspan=3|'''Manager:'''
|-
|colspan=4|{{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Paulo César Carpegiani]]
|}
|valign="top" width="50%"|
{| style="font-size:90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|colspan="4"|
|-
!width=25| !!width=25|
|-
|GK ||'''1''' ||{{flagicon|ZIM}} [[Bruce Grobbelaar]]
|-
|RB ||'''2''' ||{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Phil Neal]]
|-
|CB ||'''4''' ||{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Phil Thompson]] ([[Captain (association football)|c]])
|-
|CB ||'''6''' ||{{flagicon|SCO}} [[Alan Hansen]]
|-
|LB ||'''3''' ||{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Mark Lawrenson]]
|-
|RM ||'''14'''||{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Sammy Lee (footballer)|Sammy Lee]]
|-
|CM ||'''10'''||{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Terry McDermott]] || {{suboff|51}}
|-
|CM ||'''11'''||{{flagicon|SCO}} [[Graeme Souness]]
|-
|LM ||'''5''' ||{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Ray Kennedy]]
|-
|CF ||'''16'''||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Craig Johnston]]
|-
|CF ||'''7''' ||{{flagicon|SCO}} [[Kenny Dalglish]]
|-
|colspan=3|'''Substitutes:'''
|-
|GK ||'''13'''||{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Steve Ogrizovic]]
|-
|DF ||'''15'''||{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Alan Kennedy]]
|-
|MF ||'''17'''||{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Kevin Sheedy (Irish footballer)|Kevin Sheedy]]
|-
|MF ||'''8'''||{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Ronnie Whelan]]
|-
|FW ||'''12'''||{{flagicon|ENG}} [[David Johnson (footballer, born 1951)|David Johnson]] || {{subon|51}}
|-
|colspan=3|'''Manager:'''
|-
|colspan=4|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Bob Paisley]]
|}
|}

{| style="width:100%; font-size:90%;"
|
'''Man of the Match:''' 
<br />{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Zico (footballer)|Zico]] (Flamengo)<ref name=mom />
|}

==Post-match==
Flamengo manager [[Paulo César Carpegiani|Carpegiani]] was delighted with his team's performance: "We were magnificent in the first half when I thought Liverpool were very disappointing. We played Zico further back than usual and, though he did not score, he did most of the damage".<ref name=lacey /> Reflecting on the match in a later interview, Andrade acknowledged the importance of playmaker Zico: “Zico was the great player in that team, but alongside him there was a lot of quality. It was a doddle in the first half. In the second half we managed the game.”<ref name=guardian /> Zico felt the Liverpool players had underestimated the ability of Flamengo: “Liverpool were the best team in Europe and they continued being so, they had high-quality players, great technical ability, but Flamengo played much better football and maybe they didn't expect we would be so strong.” Zico was awarded a Toyota Celica as a result of him being named man of the match.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/12/20/zico-liverpool-underestimated-flamengo-1981-andeuropes-best/ |title=Zico: Liverpool underestimated Flamengo in 1981 and Europe's best team paid the ultimate price |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=20 December 2019 |access-date=1 May 2020 |first=Sam |last=Green }}</ref>

Liverpool manager Paisley was at a loss to describe his team's performance: "I have never seen our team so dull, so lacking in ideas and aggression. I simply cannot understand it".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lea |first=Greg |title=Eight Bells: A Selection of Classic Games From The Intercontinental Cup| magazine=The Blizzard |issue=31 |page= 186 |date=December 2018 }}</ref> Liverpool captain Thompson was equally unsure about why they had failed to match Flamengo: “We let them dictate the pace of the game. We should have tried to quicken it up instead of attempting to match them at their slower tempo. We never played as we can do, and everyone knows we can do".<ref name=lacey /> Midfielder [[Graeme Souness]] praised the performance of Zico: “I wanted to see how he would react to a physical challenge, but I couldn't get close enough to him to find out."<ref name=telegraph /> Looking back years later, defender [[Mark Lawrenson]] admitted the players didn't take the match as seriously as Flamengo: “We simply didn't take the game seriously, the Brazilian boys had been there for ten days, training and acclimatising, and it was a big deal for them. They absolutely battered us. Zico was sensational.”<ref>{{cite news|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-club-liv-fla-exclusive/exclusive-flamengo-have-team-to-beat-liverpool-again-zico-idUKKBN1YO20D |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220223324/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-club-liv-fla-exclusive/exclusive-flamengo-have-team-to-beat-liverpool-again-zico-idUKKBN1YO20D |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 December 2019 |title=Exclusive: Flamengo have team to beat Liverpool again - Zico |work=Reuters |date=20 December 2019 |access-date=1 May 2020 |first=Andrew |last=Downie }}</ref>

Liverpool finished the [[1981–82 Football League First Division]] in first place, four points clear of [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]] in second place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/liverpool-what-happened-the-previous-times-liverpool-won-10-league-games-in-a-row-9252254.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/liverpool-what-happened-the-previous-times-liverpool-won-10-league-games-in-a-row-9252254.html |archive-date=1 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Liverpool: What happened the previous times Liverpool won 10 league games in a row? |work=The Independent |date=10 April 2014 |access-date=27 April 2020 |first=Matt |last=Lawton }}{{cbignore}}</ref> They also won the [[1981–82 Football League Cup]], beating [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] 3–1 in the [[1982 Football League Cup Final|final]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2011/sep/16/joy-of-six-spurs-liverpool |title=The Joy of Six: classic Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool games |work=The Guardian |date=16 September 2011 |access-date=27 April 2020 |first=Scott |last=Murray }}</ref> Despite their domestic success, Liverpool were unable to retain the European Cup. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals after Bulgarian team [[PFC CSKA Sofia|CSKA Sofia]] won 2–1 over two-legs.<ref>{{harvtxt|Hale|Ponting|1992|p=171}}</ref> Flamengo won the [[1982 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A]] defeating [[Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense|Grêmio]] in the finals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesb/braz82.html |title=Brazil 1982 |publisher=Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation |date=18 January 2000 |access-date=27 April 2020 |first=Ricardo |last=Pontes }}</ref> However, they were unable to retain the Copa Libertadores in 1982. They reached the semi-finals, but were eliminated by eventual winners [[Peñarol]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/sacups/copa82.html |title=Copa Libertadores de América 1982 |publisher=Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation |date=7 March 2013 |access-date=27 April 2020 |first1=John |last1=Beuker |first2=Pablo |last2=Ciullini }}</ref>

A decision by the FIFA Council in 2017, considered all previous winners of the Intercontinental Cup to be world champions, on the same level as the [[FIFA Club World Cup]].<ref name=FIFACouncil/> The two teams met each other again in the final of the [[2019 FIFA Club World Cup]]. Liverpool won the [[2019 FIFA Club World Cup Final|final]] 1–0 in extra time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50869633 |title=Flamengo 0–1 Liverpool |website=BBC Sport |date=21 December 2019 |access-date=27 April 2020 |first=Harry |last=Poole }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Liverpool F.C. in international football]]
*[[2019 FIFA Club World Cup Final]] — contested between same teams

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last1=Hale |first1=Steve |last2=Ponting |first2=Ivan |title=Liverpool In Europe |year=1992 |publisher=Guinness Publishing |location=London |isbn=0-85112-569-7 }}

{{Intercontinental Cup (football)}}
{{Clube de Regatas do Flamengo matches}}
{{Liverpool F.C. matches}}

[[Category:1981–82 in European football|Intercontinental Cup]]
[[Category:1981 in South American football|Intercontinental Cup]]
[[Category:1981 in Japanese football|Intercontinental Cup]]
[[Category:Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)]]
[[Category:Liverpool F.C. matches|Intercontinental Cup 1981]]
[[Category:CR Flamengo matches|Intercontinental Cup 1981]]
[[Category:Intercontinental Cup (football) matches hosted by Japan]]
[[Category:1981 in Brazilian football|Inter]]
[[Category:1981–82 in English football|inter]]
[[Category:Sports competitions in Tokyo]]
[[Category:December 1981 sports events in Asia]]
[[Category:1981 in Tokyo]]
[[Category:1981 in association football]]