The last century left its legend with mythical forwards throughout its different decades. Different times. Of the five forwards who recited from memory to attacks reduced to four, three and two men according to the times, but not for that reason less effectively. In these cases, the figure of a great footballer used to bring together his teammates, with the case of Johan Cruyff at Ajax as the most representative case. He won three European Cup finals with three different offensive triples.
The 40s, 50s
The mid-20th century already saw dream attacks in both Europe and South America. The River Machine in the 40s (Muñoz, Moreno, Pedernera, Labruna and Lostau) they played few games together (18) but for Alfredo di Stéfano who saw them play in their teens there was never another forward like it. In the 50s it shone especially the Hungary of Budai, Kocsis, Hidegkuti, Puskas and Czibor, who starred in historic goals as the 3-6 against England at Wembley and lost against all odds in the 54 World Cup final against Germany.
The Madrid of the five European Cups
With the staging of the European Cup, various clubs showed the world extraordinary strikers with the Real Madrid of the five consecutive trophies as the maximum exponent. Curiously, the whites played the five finals with five different attacks, but with minimal changes. In '56 he formed with Joseíto-Marsal-Di Stéfano-Rial-Gento. The following year with Kopa-Mateos-Di Stéfano-Rial-Gento. The third final was made up of Kopa-Joseíto-Di Stéfano-Rial-Gento. Mateos entered through Joseíto in the '59. And in the '60, the five attackers were Canario-Del Sol-Di Stéfano-Puskas-Gento.
In the 58-59 season, with the signing of Puskas, Real Madrid gathered its most galactic forward: Kopa-Rial-Di Stéfano-Puskas-Gento, but the Hungarian's injury prevented him from contesting the Stuttgart final. Despite being the most famous attack in those years and that history sealed as the most representative of that five-year period of successes, throughout the course, the five together did not lavish much either: eight league games, two of the European Cup. and six friendlies. Other clubs whose forwards marked an era in the European Cup in that decade were the Inter (Jair, Suárez, Milani -Peiró-, Mazzola and Corso) and Benfica (José Augusto, Coluna, Aguas -Torres-, Eusebio and Simoes).
The five '10' of Brazil-70
The forward par excellence of the amarelha team and possibly the history of football. Zagallo joined five '10' at the World Cup in Mexico. Never seen. He wanted to stage his best forwards and managed to get them to coexist in the same 11 with some small sacrifice on the part of those interested.
Jairzinho, the '10' of Botafogo, he adjusted to the right wing and scored in the six games of the championship (seven goals); Gerson, the '10' of Sao Paulo, delayed his position to become the true organizer of the team; Tostao, Cruzeiro's '10', became the true center forward; Pelé, the '10' of SantosHe played at will, but more advanced than in his club; and Rivelino, on 10 Corinthians, he joined the left wing with less presence than usual in the game.