Iconic Moments in Football No.77
This week’s ‘Iconic Moment’ comes from the 1994 World Cup in A Second Round match between Brazil and host nation the United States of America.
USA had lost all three of their group matches in the previous World Cup in Italy but had done better this time around in front of their home fans.
A win over Colombia and a draw over Switzerland in their first two games had been enough to see them qualify from the group as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Brazil had done much better and had topped their group. Victories over Russia and Cameroon and a draw against Sweden put them on seven points.
The two sides were matched in the Second Round and the game was played on Independence Day at the Stanford Stadium in Washington. A huge crowd of 84,147 watched on as the game was goalless and half-time was approaching. One foul in the 43rd minute completely changed the complexion of the match and changed the career of one player.
Brazil’s Leonardo and America’s Tab Ramos tussled for the ball on the touchline midway inside the American half. Ramos had possession but Leonardo was holding on to the American’s left arm.
Ramos tried to and failed to flick the ball through Leonardo’s legs. He spun away from the Brazilian’s grasp and tried to reclaim the ball.
Leonardo spun and swung his right arm with force, connecting with Ramos, sending the American to the floor with a fractured skull. French referee Joel Quinious ran straight over and brandished his red card.
The elbow hit Ramos on the right side of his skull and his left arm tensed and stayed rigid as he was knocked unconscious. He would spend the next two days in hospital. In the coming months, a doctor told him that if Ramos were a boxer, he should consider retirement, such was the potential damage.
Leonardo was given a four-match suspension, which ruled him out of the rest of the tournament. He went to visit Ramos in hospital, but there were no hard feelings between the two.
Ramos was playing for Real Betis at the time, but never made another appearance for the club. He spent the rest of 1994 trying to recover from the skull injury and moved to Mexican side Tigres.
He signed for the Metrostars in the MLS and stayed there until 2002, but the injury that he received in the match against Brazil kept coming back to haunt him. Long lay offs caused him to miss a lot of matches and he was never the same player again.
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