Brazil Independence Cup

Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Short description The Brazil Independence Cup was an international football tournament held in Brazil, from 11 June to 9 July 1972, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Brazilian Declaration of Independence. It was called the Minicopa by the Brazilians and the final was between Brazil and Portugal, in the Maracanã Stadium. Brazil won 1–0, with Jairzinho scoring in the 89th minute.

Brazil no longer had Pelé but still had Tostão, Jairzinho and Rivellino, the later two also played in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, in West Germany.

Despite Portugal's quality results and team, including Benfica players such as Eusébio, Jaime Graça, José Henrique, Humberto Coelho, Rui Jordão, and Toni, the team missed the World Cup 1974 and 1978 qualifying matches, so this tournament was their best result until the 1984 European Football Championship.

Format

Twenty teams competed; 18 national teams as well as two representative sides from Africa and CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean).

First round

15 teams competed in the first round, while 5 teams (Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Scotland, Soviet Union, Uruguay) received byes to the final stage.

The teams are drawn into three groups of 5 teams. Each team plays each other team in its group once, earning 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw. The three first-placed teams advance to the final stage.

Final stage

The 8 teams are drawn into two groups of 4 teams. Each team plays each other team in its group once, earning 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw.

The two group runners-up play each other in the third-place playoff.

The two group winners play each other in the final.

Venues

File:Brasil-TII.svg

Host cities of the Taça Independência

The tournament was played in 12 cities: Aracaju, Belo Horizonte, Campo Grande, Curitiba, Maceió, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo.

Aracaju	Belo Horizonte		Campo Grande
Batistão	Mineirão	Estádio Independência	Morenão
Capacity: 45,000	Capacity: 110,000	Capacity: 23,000	Capacity: 45,000
		File:Arena Independência - Atlético x Fluminense.jpg	File:Morenão Campo Grande2.jpg
Curitiba	Maceió	Manaus	Natal
Estádio Couto Pereira	Estádio Rei Pelé	Vivaldão	Machadão
Capacity: 37,182	Capacity: 20,551	Capacity: 31,000	Capacity: 42,000
File:CP2.jpg	File:Rei Pelé.jpg		File:Machadao.JPG
Porto Alegre	Recife	Rio de Janeiro	Salvador
Estádio Beira-Rio	Estádio do Arruda	Maracanã	Estádio Fonte Nova
Capacity: 106,000	Capacity: 60,000	Capacity: 200,000	Capacity: 80,000
File:Portoalegre aerea arenabeirario.jpg	File:Estádio Santa Cruz.jpg	File:Maracana Stadium June 2013.jpg	File:2116RP037.jpg
São Paulo
Estádio do Pacaembu	Estádio do Morumbi
Capacity: 40,000	Capacity: 120,000
File:Pacaembu.jpg	File:Cicero pompeu de toledo - inside - 03.jpg

Squads

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