Suicidal Tour
Brazilian professional football club Santa Cruz Futebol Clube toured the North Region of Brazil from 2 January 1943 to 29 April 1943, looking to raise funds in friendly matches. Plagued by several issues, the tour became known as the Death Tour (Brazilian Portuguese: Excursão da Morte) and the Suicidal Tour (Brazilian Portuguese: Excursão Suicída).
Before the tour
Mired in a deep financial crisis,[1] Santa Cruz's directors decided to take a "quick spin" in the North Region and participate in exhibition matches against local clubs, looking to bring in more money.[1][2]
Ocean
Santa Cruz's delegation left Recife, Pernambuco on 2 January 1943, aboard the steam-powered boat Pará. Due to fears of possible Nazi submarine attacks, the boat had to sail with its lights off, while being escorted by two Brazilian Navy ships. Two days later, it arrived at Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, where the Pernambuco team won against the local state's team by 6–0.[1][2][3] Afterwards, Santa Cruz traveled to Belém, where they beat Transviário Esporte Clube by 7–2, Tuna Luso 3–1,[4] drew with the Pará state team by 3–3,[3][5] 4–4 with Paysandu, and subsequently lost to Remo 5 to 3.[4]
River
While the team's delegation intended for the matches in Belém to be last ones of the excursion,[3] they were invited to travel to Manaus to play against the local teams, making it the first time a team from Pernambuco visited the city.[6] The club left for Manaus on 25 January,[7] aboard a steamboat towing a shipment of food destined for Acre.[4] Traveling at a speed of ten nautical miles per day, it took two weeks for the squad to arrive to the state of Amazonas.[4][6]
The team arrived at Manaus on 7 February. Tired and playing under heavy rain, they lost their first game in Amazonas to Olímpico by 3–2. Santa Cruz played four more matches there, winning thrice (5–1 and 5–4 against Rio Negro and 6–0 against Nacional) and losing once to the local state team.[6] Shortly after the first match against Rio Negro, the head of delegation and six players suffered from a bout of dysentery, which was quickly resolved by medical staff.[8]
After the Manaus matches, the club directors planned for an international leg in Peru and Guyana.[9] However, the trip was blocked by the Brazilian Sports Federation due to a request from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for clubs not to leave the country.[10] Under the possibility of being suspended for 90 days, the team gave up and returned to Belém aboard the steamboat Fortaleza.[2][9] Three players did not come back with the squad, as they were "attracted by good offers" from local teams.[2][10]
Land
Legacy
References
Citations
- ^ a b c Aragão (1979), p. 60.
- ^ a b c d Guedes (2023).
- ^ a b c Costa (2020), "Primeiros jogos e problemas" section.
- ^ a b c d Aragão (1979), p. 60, "De Belém a Manaus, duas semanas no rio" section.
- ^ "O Santa Cruz empatou com o selecionado paraense" [Santa Cruz drew with the Paraense squad]. Jornal Pequeno (in Brazilian Portuguese). No. 17. 22 January 1943. p. 2. Retrieved 17 May 2024 – via Hemeroteca Digital Brasileira.
- ^ a b c Costa (2020), "Duas semanas no rio até Manaus com bebedeiras" section.
- ^ "Embarcou para Manáus a delegação do Santa Cruz" [Santa Cruz delegation embarks for Manaus]. Jornal Pequeno (in Brazilian Portuguese). No. 20. 26 January 1943. p. 2. Retrieved 18 May 2024 – via Hemeroteca Digital Brasileira.
- ^ Aragão (1979), p. 60, "Do barco, direto para um hospital..." section.
- ^ a b Costa (2020), "Tentativa de jogos internacionais" section.
- ^ a b Aragão (1979), p. 61, "Do barco, direto para um hospital..." section.
Bibliography
- Aragão, Lenivaldo (28 December 1979). "A Excursão da Morte" [The Death Tour]. Placar (in Brazilian Portuguese). No. 505. Editora Abril. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- Costa, Brenno (31 March 2020). ""Excursão suicida" do Santa Cruz sofreu com ameaça nazista e teve dois mortos: conheça essa história" [Santa Cruz's "suicide tour" suffered from Nazi threats and two deaths: learn about the story]. ge (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- Guedes, Marcos (29 April 2023). "Há 80 anos, Santa Cruz completava 'a maior epopeia da história humana'" [80 years ago, Santa Cruz completed 'the greatest epic in human history']. Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 26 April 2024.