Marcial, goalkeeper of the 1963 state title, dies
His hands held the championship ball in the most attended match in history.
By Flamengo Communication - inFlamengo said goodbye to a unique idol this Thursday. If there is such a thing as a "title goal," it was the one that helped them defend their 1963 title, a defense watched by the largest crowd in the history of club football.
Marcial de Mello Castro, the goalkeeper in the 1963 State Championship final, died at the age of 77, victim of a heart attack, in Tupaciguara (MG), where he worked as an anesthesiologist.
Between 1963 and 1965, Marcial played 93 games with the Manto Sagrado, achieving 53 victories and the 1963 Campeonato Carioca title. On that day, December 15th, in front of 194.603 people, Marcial's Flamengo held the favorite Fluminense to a goalless draw and took the title.
And it was he who secured the trophy in that scoreless match. In the second half, Escurinho, Fluminense's main striker, arrived unmarked in front of goal and tried to chip the ball over the red-and-black goalkeeper. Marcial aborted the run and returned in time to grab the ball. The Tricolor fans were already celebrating the goal, but the number 1 silenced them with his defense and erupted in excitement from the other side of the stands by showing the ball in his hands. It was the title-winning moment.
The star of the match, fate would have it that the ball ended up in his arms in the last play, at the final whistle.
Flamengo sends its condolences to Marcial's family.
