Ranking the World's Soccer Meccas: No. 2 Estadio do Maracana

For ranking methodology and other information about the series, see the original post. To read the about the No. 3-rated stadiums, Old Trafford and Anfield Road. To see all "soccer mecca" entries click here.

No. 2 Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho (Estádio do Maracanã), Rio de Janeiro
Open Since: 1950
Capacity: Originally said to be 200,000. After renovation for 2014 World Cup this number will be about 85,000
Current Tenant: None. Will be Brazilian national team after renovation.
Past Tenants: "Big Four" Rio de Janeiro clubs (Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama), Brazilian cup finals, Rio de Janeiro state championships.
World Cup hosts: 1950, 2014

The Maracana is one of only two stadiums on this list that I have visited in person (the other is the No. 1 ground, whose identity you should be able to figure out at this point if you were paying attention). I was in Rio very recently and took the opportunity to visit the site. Construction site, in this instance. The Maracana is in the middle of a major renovation, its second in a decade, and you can barely get anywhere near it as a result. When I visited, in the middle of August (all photos are from that trip), it was pretty much at the exact midpoint of this overhaul, allowing neither a true sense of what it used to be like, nor a glimpse of what form it would take after the facelift. Even FourFourTwo magazine called it "underwhelming."

They do have a little museum where for 10 reais (about US$5) they show you, well, very little: The "footprints" of a few players, the odd photo and a very obstructed view of the construction going on in the interior. Still, it's the Maracana, a required stop for every soccer fan who ever passes through Rio. The once and future home of the Selecao! The host of one of the most historic World Cup games of all time! As the signature ground of the first postwar World Cup tournament, the Maracana can make a claim to putting the modern game on the map. "What Catholics feel at the Holy Sepulcher, Elvis fans at Graceland and Communists at Lenin's Tomb, soccer fans feel upon sight of Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium," wrote an Israeli journalist. Not visiting was not an option.

Besides, the place has spent large portions of its existence in various states of disrepair. Initial construction wasn't even completed until 1965, according to this BBC story, its sprinkler system had to be overhauled in the 90s and it underwent some pretty extensive renovations last decade. Construction is very much its natural state.

The stadium is in a rather nondescript middle class neighborhood west of downtown. It kind of sneaks up on you as you approach from one of the elevated highways (sadly, that was the best view I got and I didn't act quickly enough to photograph it. But this New York Times story gives you a better perspective anyway). The initial impression is of a massive UFO that decided to park in the middle of the city. It is immense, but not particularly tall, or maybe that's just because I'm used to monstrosities like Met Life Stadium and Citi Field. By 1950 standards it was certainly unrivaled on a global scale. Even in the U.S., serious stadium construction didn't start for another decade or so.

The architecture appears to be of the art deco variety. I say "appears to be" because 1) I couldn't really tell for all the aforementioned reasons, 2) I don't know how to define art deco in the first place and 3) I don't actually know a thing about architecture. It's decidedly modern, how about that? Except wait, that would mean it isn't art deco, right? Whatever. Hopefully none of you are reading this expecting a discourse on architecture.

1950
The Maracana was built for the 1950 World Cup. It was a massive project. The Elon International Studies puts it in perspective:

Building the stadium was one of the biggest human works projects in the history of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Over 11,000 laborers worked on the completion of the stadium with an average of 3,500 men working per day over three shifts. The completion of the stadium took over 8 million man hours of work. To put this in perspective, it would take one man working 6 hours per day 1,860 years to build the stadium. If any man were capable of completing this feat, he would have to have hauled 500,000 bags of cement, 10 tons of iron, 80,000 cubic meters of concrete, 650,000 square meters of timber and 134 million cubic meters of earth into the stadium to complete the task.

(Whoever wrote that piece did not supply a source for those numbers, so take them with a grain of salt if you like.) It was the final game of that tournament that turned the Maracana into such a contentious spot for Brazilian soccer fans. That match, a 2-1 loss to Uruguay, surely remains the most painful event in the history of Brazilian sport. Readers of this blog surely know the story: needing just a draw to win their first World Cup title, the heavily favored Brazilian side took a 1-0 lead shortly after halftime, only to see Uruguay come back with two late goals that shocked the 200,000 in attendance and caused an outpouring of grief and mourning -- and three deaths by heart attack, according to various reports, including this one by Contisoccerworld. Brazilian author Nelson Rodriguez called it "our Hiroshima," presumably without a hint of irony. The event even resulted in the coining of a phrase, Maracanazo. It prompted the selecao to abandon their white kits and switch to the yellow/green/blue familiar to modern fans of the game. None of Brazil's five splendid World Cups since then have completely vanquished the trauma. That will only happen if Brazil win the final of the 2014 World Cup, which will be held at the Maracana. The Brazilians I spoke to were not very keen on that idea at all. It was almost as if the iconic ground still held too many ghosts from 1950, which are better left undisturbed lest they traumatize an entirely new generation of Brazilians.

Of course, there were other famous events that took place at the Maracana, with more favorable outcomes to the Brazilian sides that called it home. Pele's Santos club was not actually one of them, as Santos hails from Sao Paulo, which is different from Rio de Janeiro. The record for most goals scored at Maracana is held by one Zico, who played his club soccer at Rio de Janeiro side Flamengo and scored 333 goals at the storied ground, according to various reports. But Pele still celebrated several milestones including what we are told is his 1,000th goal (links to YouTube video) and his final match for the Brazilian national team. In the final of the 1961 Rio-Sao Paulo championship, Pele scored what came to be known as the gol de placa (worthy of a plaque). FIFA.com describes the goal, and the events surrounding it, in great detail. If you're scoring at home, that's two (2) terms that the Maracana has invented for the Portuguese language.

Soccer nations other than Brazil (and Uruguay) have made their mark on the Maracana. In 1984, England became the first team to defeat Brazil in Rio since 1968. John Barnes scored what the Telegraph has called one of the most memorable goals of all time (presumably from an English perspective).

Amazingly, the Maracana hosted only one Copa Libertadores final, and that was in 2008. It was not a pleasant experience for the home side, in this case Fluminense, who lost on penalties to LDU Quito of Ecuador, a game I watched on tv and reported on in this space (and sadly to say, have absolutely no recollection of).

Besides the 200,000 for the final game of the 1950 World Cup (a world record), the best-attended club soccer game was played here as well. That was the 194,603 for a Flamengo v. Fluminense derby match in 1963. Until and unless standing room terraces are reinstated at a future stadium somewhere, those records will probably stand the test of time.

It will be interesting to see what the Maracana looks like when it finally emerges from its latest, greatest renovation. What will be more interesting will be the new history that is written on the pitch; besides the 2014 final, the stadium will also host four group stage matches, a round of 16 game and quarterfinal. Will Brazil emerge victorious, with the ghosts of 1950 finally put to rest? Or will it usher in a new period of mourning. Either way, the Maracana figures to play a prominent role.

Ranking the world's soccer meccas: No. 3 Old Trafford and Anfield (a draw)

For ranking methodology and other information about the series, see the original post. To read the about the No. 4-rated stadium, the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay, click here. To see all "soccer mecca" entries click here.

No. 3 Old Trafford, Manchester and Anfield, Liverpool
Open since: 1910 (Old Trafford); 1884 (Anfield)
Capacity: ~75,000 (Old Trafford); ~45,000 (Anfield)
Tenant: Manchester United (Old Trafford); Liverpool FC (Anfield)
World Cup hosts: 1966 (Old Trafford)

Deciding not to decide is admittedly a bit of cop-out; but I didn't want to face the wrath of one side's supporters and be accused of harboring anti- (or pro-) feelings toward either club. I also really wanted to make this a top 10 list. Top 11 is not as nice a number, and therefore not as marketable. And as you know it's all about the money for me. Why else become a soccer blogger? If I wanted to do something nice for society I'd be a banker or something. Seriously though, necessity obviously played a role in choosing two grounds for the third-biggest soccer mecca in the world. However, the truth is that a fair objective decision (or what passes for one given the criteria at our disposal) would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible. Compelling arguments exist in support of both stadia. Old Trafford is bigger and played host to a World Cup, goes one. Anfield is older and has more of an "iconic value" in part for this reason, goes another. Well, great. Rather than fight about that let's just discuss both grounds. Old Trafford goes first because it's bigger and hosted World Cup matches. Plus this year is the 100 year anniversary of the ground's opening. The Guardian did a terrific retrospective in February that you should really read for yourself. But here is my bit:

Old Trafford
The stadium was designed by a Scotsman, Archibald Leitch, the same guy who designed Glasgow's Hampden Park (ranked fifth in our list of soccer meccas). For some reason Old Trafford hosted the FA Cup final in 1911 and 1915. The stadium was heavily damaged in World War II, apparently because the Germans wanted to preemptively avenge Bayern Munich's last minute loss to Manchester United in the 1999 Champions League final. Man United had to play the 1946-49 seasons at Maine Road while Old Trafford was rebuilt--exactly the way it was before the war. It would quickly change, however. Renovations took place in the 1950s and 60s and Old Trafford holds the dubious distinction of being the first ground to erect perimeter fencing, which it did in the 1970s. These were removed when it was converted to an all-seater in 1994.

The 1994 renovation spelled the end of the beloved (by home fans at least) Stretford End, though many still refer to the stadium's west end as such. "Theatre of Dreams," a paper of sorts published on Villanova University's Web site has the following to say about the Stretford End:

"Crammed behind the goal was a heaving mass of almost 20,000 standing United fans who were amongst the loudest in Britain. It was once measured that the roar from the crowd was louder than a Jumbo Jet taking off."

The last game played in front of the famous old terrace was a 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on May 2, 1992.

Old Trafford has hosted its share of famous matches, but the 1966 World Cup games don't exactly make the cut. All were group stage games and none saw very big crowds. In the first, Portugal defeated Hungary 3-1 in front of 37,000. Portugal played (and won) the second match against Bulgaria by 3-0 in front of 26,000. In the third, Hungary saw off Bulgaria by 3-0 in a match that was only significant because it meant defending champions Brazil would not make the elimination round. The Brazilians, with Pele, had earlier lost 3-1 to Portugal in a game played at Goodison Park.

Thirty years later Old Trafford was one of the main stages for Euro 96. Eventual champions Germany played their group stage matches here, winning the first two (2-1 over the Czech Republic and 3-0 over Russia) and drawing the third (0-0 against Italy). As group winners Germany then faced Croatia in the quarterfinals at Old Trafford, winning 2-1 (Croatia would win the rematch two years later at the World Cup quarterfinal in France). Old Trafford then was the stage for a tense semifinal between France and the Czech Republic, won by the Czechs on penalties.

Okay, none of these will exactly go down in the annals of soccer history. In fact, for the first 35 years of its life, Old Trafford saw little that would make the history books. Man United were a "yo-yo club" in the 1920s and 30s, switching between the top two divisions several times. It wasn't until the arrival of Matt Busby in 1945 that this changed for good (well, until 1974 at least, which we'll get to in a minute).

The 1957 European Cup semifinal pitted Man United against defending title holders Real Madrid. It was just the second year of the tournament that is today known as the UEFA Champions League, and Man U's first as a participant. Busby's babes were defeated 5-3 on aggregate but the game presented them with a measuring stick that likely would have been breached sooner had it not been for the 1959 Munich air disaster.

Less than two weeks after the tragedy, United returned to Old Trafford. The matchday programs of what would become a 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday read "United Will Go On". Blank spaces were left where the names of the eight deceased players would have been.

In 1965, Busby's side won their first championship on a Monday night at Old Trafford on goals by Denis Law (2x) and George Best.

Three years later, their first European title would finally follow. The European Cup semifinal against Real Madrid was one of the most epic match-ups in the history of club football, though most of the drama took place at the Bernabeu in the return leg. Man U won the first leg at Old Trafford on a goal by Best. Busby's side advanced after a 3-3 draw in Madrid and went on to defeat Benfica for the first-ever European Cup won by an English club.

The 70s and 80s were a tough time for United, but there were a few moments of glory at Old Trafford nonetheless. In 1984, Ron Atkinson's Red Devils faced Barcelona in the quarterfinals of the old Cup winners' cup. They were given little chance against a side that featured Diego Maradona (by then the consensus best player in the world, or close to it), especially after losing the first leg at Camp Nou by 2-0. But led by Bryan Robson, Man U rallied and five minutes after halftime the sides were level. Frank Stapleton got United the winner. They would lose the semifinal to Juventus (with Michel Platini). The BBC revisited the encounter a few years ago. Check it out.

Man U and Real Madrid would meet again in 2003 in the Champions League quarterfinals. This time Real came out winners. After winning the first leg 3-1, the return leg at Old Trafford became one of the more thrilling games you'll witness anywhere. In the end Ronaldo (the Brazilian one) proved too much for Red Devils, scoring thrice. David Beckham came on as a substitute and scored twice but it was not enough. Man U won the return leg 4-3 but bowed out on aggregate, 6-5. Too bad, because that was the year the Champions League final was played at Old Trafford. In May 2003 it hosted a rather anticlimactic affair between AC Milan and Juventus, which Milan won on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

Of course some of the most spirited matches were domestic--or even municipal--battles.
The Independent has a series of the 10 best Manchester derbies of all time. Rather than plagiarize reference it in part we suggest you read it in whole at the source itself. Among matches played at Old Trafford, the following stand out (only the Denis Law game is on the Independent's list. The rest were located via independent research):

In 1926, Manchester City won 6-1. I don't believe either club has scored that many goals in the Manchester derby since. The margin of victory was itself a record for nearly 30 years until...

...it was matched in 1955, with City winning 5-0.

On April 27, 1974, United hosted City on the penultimate matchday. In what became known as the Denis Law game, the Scotsman (and former United man, as we have seen) scored his last goal ever as a professional. The cheeky backheel (links to YouTube clip of the goal) won the game for City 1-0. United were relegated to the old Division Two, though not as a result of that game as is often reported (they would have gone down regardless).

In March 1991, a 17-year old Welshman by the name of Ryan Giggs scored the first goal of his career in a Manchester derby. The goal decided the match in United's favor (1-0).

The following December, a certain Frenchman named Eric Cantona made his debut for United in the first Manchester derby of the Premiership era. Cantona went on to score eight goals in eight Manchester derbies over the following four seasons but he was kept off the scoresheet that day (United didn't need the help; they won 2-1).

In the first derby of the new Millenium in 2001, Roy Keane very nearly ended the career of Alf-Inge Haaland with a vicious tackle. The tackle, which was swiftly red-carded, was revenge for an injury Keane himself sustained at Haaland's expense (kind of. In 1997 Keane was injured when he attempted to tackle Haaland. Only Roy Keane knows why he needed to avenge an injury caused by Roy Keane or why he needed to boast about it in his book. The latter move cost him an additional fine).

Anfield
Interestingly enough, Liverpool were not Anfield's original tenants. That honor goes to Everton, who built the ground in 1884 and called it home for eight years. They left over some internal dispute and Liverpool were formed with the express purpose of occupying Anfield. So Liverpool is very much the house that Anfield build, not vice-versa. I'm sure Everton fans never remind their Liverpool brethren of this.

The (in)famous kop was not part of the original construct either. In fact, no stands were. For the first two years, players had to walk down a road from an off-site locker room to the pitch, according to Liverweb.org.uk. The site also supplies this tidbit from the ground's very early days:

In 1894 following some early success the club decided to build a proper main stand which would incorporate dressing rooms. The stand was built and cost a total of £1,000. The stand was made of timber and remained relatively unmodified until the 1970's when it was to become as it is in modern times. The stand was at the time considered extremely good for the football ground. In the middle of the stand roof was a mock semi-circular gable in red and white. A large plaque was later place on this area reading 'Liverpool Football Club'. Today though the only thing left of it are photographs as the original itself was lost in development of the stand. It is likely to have been placed in a builders skip.

The "kop" stand was built in 1906 and named after the Spion Kop, a hill in South Africa where a local regiment suffered heavy losses during the Boer War. The roof was added in 1928. The kop can rightfully claim to be the most famous soccer stand in the world. It was here that the singing we associate today with football supporters came into being. "While cheering and the occasional singing at English football matches was nothing new, the spontaneous, collective songs of the masses in the Kop was something never before seen," writes Albion Road.

This alone makes Anfield a legend among soccer stadia. Its status as a soccer mecca is cemented by the fact that it also berthed soccer's most famous song. "You'll never walk alone," has since been adopted as the anthem of virtually every club not named Everton and Manchester United. The song has existed since 1945. It started as a Broadway show tune if you can believe that (probably one of very few links between the world of Broadway musicals and soccer--or professional sport for that matter) and was covered by everybody from Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley. It was first heard at Anfield around 1963 when Merseyside group Gerry & The Pacemakers made it popular in Britain. It appears to have become the club's official anthem shortly afterward (I found a YouTube clip from 1964).

A wave of renovations were spurred by the arrival of Bill Shankly in 1959. "He was livid at the conditions and said that the ground was not good enough for the fans who supported them each week," writes Liverweb.

In 1971, Anfield had the dubious distinction of hosting a Man United match. This Web site explains why. So Anfield has actually held home games for Liverpool's two fiercest rivals!

Still, nobody can argue that the team that gets the most inspiration from Anfield is Liverpool. From 1978 to 1981, Reds did not lose a match at their home ground.

From the mid 1960s to late 1980s the club celebrated a lengthy golden age. In 1973 it hoisted its first European trophy, the UEFA Cup, and won the first division for the "double." The first leg of the UEFA cup final was in fact played at Anfield (back then two legs decided the winner). Reds won 3-0 over Borussia Moenchengladbach with Kevin Keegan scoring two goals within a nine minute span of the first half. In fact, Keegan had a chance for a hat trick but missed a penalty. Liverpool had to hang on for dear life in the return leg; at halftime they were down 2-0. But they pulled it off. '73 was also Shankly's last year in charge at Anfield. Three years later, with Bob Paisley now in charge, Reds won the league and UEFA Cup again.

The first leg of the 1976 UEFA Cup final against Belgian side Bruges was probably one of the best games ever played at Anfield. After just 12 minutes Reds were down two goals. They got three goals in the last 30 minutes of the match (the third on a Keegan penalty) to take the first leg 3-2.

The following season Liverpool took their first champions cup (forerunner to the Champions League). Between 1977 and 1985, they would reach the final five times, winning the first four.

Of course Liverpool also has a few memorable losses at Anfield. The most painful may be the April 1989 league championship decider with Arsenal. Gunners needed to win by two goals on the final matchday. Michael Thomas got Arsenal's second goal in the final minute of the match. Liverpool has not won a league title since.

Like Old Trafford, Anfield also hosted Euro 96 games; three group stage matches and a quarterfinal between France and the Netherlands that ended scoreless (France advanced on penalties). The most interesting of the group stage matches was probably Russia's 3-3 draw with the Czech Republic in the third and final round. With zero points from its first two games, Russia had no hope of advancing, but they could spoil the Czech Republic's quarterfinal qualification with a victory. It didn't start well; after just 19 minutes Russia was down two goals. But they rallied at the start of the second half and by minute 54 had tied the game up. Then, five minutes before time Vladimir Beschastnykh put the Russians up, before the Czechs equalized three minutes later. They would go on to make the finals of the tournament and lose in extra time on a disputed "golden goal" by Oliver Bierhoff.

Man United v Liverpool
The "Northwest derby" between Liverpool and Man United is one of the most spirited affairs in all of sport, so we are devoting an entire section to it. All but a handful of these matches were played at Old Trafford or Anfield. Liverpool drew first blood in their first meeting in 1895; the 7-1 victory at Anfield remains the widest margin of victory in these games.

There have been so many memorable matches since then, it's hard to pick a select few that stand out. But for historical significance's stake, perhaps none is greater than the 1999 FA Cup tie at Old Trafford. Trailing 1-0 with a minute to go, Sir Alex' men stunned the visitors with a pair of goals (links to YouTube video clip) en route to their historic treble. The Champions League final against Bayern Munich is rightly remembered as the crowning moment of the season, but it turns out Red Devils had pulled an identical feat (scoring twice to overcome a 1-0 deficit in the final minute of a match) three months earlier.

The teams' August 1953 meeting at Anfield proved the start of a dark period for Liverpool. The home side led 4-2 at the hour mark but United rallied to tie the score. The equalizer was controversial; Liverpool goalkeeper Charlie Ashcroft was bundled into the net with seven minutes to go and apparently the Anfield faithful were so incensed police had to form a line in front of the kop. An interesting tidbit for those who might think soccer violence (or the threat thereof) is something that began in the 1960s. The Lancashire Evening Post interviewed the 82-year old Ashcroft about this and other memorable games in January 2009. United won the return leg at Old Trafford and Liverpool were relegated. Man U went on to become, well Man U (at least the 1950s version).

When they were finally re-promoted for the 1962-63 season, Liverpool had a rough start, winning just four of their first 16 games when they faced their hated rivals at Old Trafford. It started badly for Bill Shankly's side and at the half the score was Man U 1, Liverpool 0. The teams traded goals in the second half with United getting the last laugh on the final play of the game, equalizing for a 3-3 score. But Liverpool were clearly buoyed by the result; they went on to win their next nine games and were crowned league champions in 1964.

Sir Alex' first season in charge at Old Trafford was largely forgettable, but Red Devils did manage a 1-0 win at Anfield on Boxing Day 1986 that helped put an end to Liverpool's chances of defending their league title.

In 1988, United came from two goals down to draw 3-3 at Anfield in a game made famous for Gordon Strachan smoking an imaginary cigar in front of the kop. Liverpool won the league anyway. But they haven't won it since.

In 1992 it was still United who was suffering the title drought however. Sir Alex' men hit Anfield in April with their title hopes hanging by a thread. They lost 2-0. The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League went to Leeds United (ironically with Strachan). But Man U won the next one. And the one after that. In fact, seven of the first nine Premiership titles went to Man United.

In 1993 Man United suffered a brief setback at the hands of their rivals. Sir Alex' men had a 3-0 lead after just 24 minutes at Anfield, but the match ended up a 3-3 draw. Man U went on to win the double that season.

In 1995 Cantona returned from the suspension he earned for the Selhurst Park incident and had a part in both United goals in an exciting 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.

In December 2000, Liverpool ended a 10-game unbeaten run against their rivals, winning 1-0 on a freekick goal by Danny Murphy at Old Trafford.

As for the last decade worth of games, you should be young enough to remember them yourself and won't need me to relive them.

Ranking the world's soccer meccas: No. 4, Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay

For ranking methodology and other information about the series, see the original post. To read the about the No. 5-rated stadium, the Hampden Park in Glasgow, click here. To see all "soccer mecca" entries click here.

No. 4 Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay
Open since: 1930
Capacity: 100,000
Tenant: Uruguay national team
World Cup hosts: 1930

After our three stadium sojourn in Europe for spots 5 through 7 it's back to South America with No. 4. The Estadio Centenario was of course the host of the original World Cup in 1930. Unlike every other rendition of the tournament, in 1930 all games from group stage to final were played in Montevideo, with a majority at this one ground. It's therefore probably safe to say the Centenario hosted more World Cup matches (10) than any other stadium in the world--with the possible exception of the San Siro, the No. 10 soccer mecca in the world.

As host of the first World Cup final (and semifinal), the Centenario's status as a true "soccer mecca" is beyond reproach. But its ethereal qualities transcend this one event, important though it is to the modern history of the game.

A few words, then, about the ground itself. Not from us, because we've never been anywhere near there and anyway don't know the next thing about architecture or things of that nature. But a Princeton University-educated architect, Shona Black, wrote about the stadium for a Uruguay travel Web site. We took the liberty to reprint them here, because they give you a far better picture than we (or really anybody) could provide:

Work on the Estadio Centenario, so named to celebrate the nation’s centenary, was begun in central Montevideo’s Parque de los Aliados (also known as Parque Batlle) in 1929. Designed as a monumental football temple, Estadio Centenario is an early example of the classic concrete bowl-shaped stadium with up to a 100,000 capacity, a template replicated from Rio’s Maracana to Turin’s Stadio delle Alpi and from China to Africa in the spread of the global game.

Art Deco detailing and striking modernist touches, however, set Estadio Centenario apart from some of the more brutalist styles typical of the genre. Designed by architect Juan Scasso, the stadium’s most distinctive feature is a tower thrusting 100 metres into the sky from the Tribuna Olimpica stand. The Torre de los Homenajes rises in tribute to the independent nation, echoing the nine stripes of the Uruguayan flag in its nine moulded windows.

The stands are named to reflect the early Uruguayan team’s glories: America for their Copa America (South American championship) successes in 1923 and 1926, and the Olimpica, Colombes and Amsterdam marking their Olympic victories.

In a move perhaps not entirely a-typical for Latin America, different work sections were contracted out to various construction companies, according to FIFA.com's page on the Centenario. Three shifts were organized so construction could continue 24 hours a day.

Still, the ground would not be finished in time for the start of the tourney. The first World Cup match in history would take place July 13, 1930 in front of just 1,000 spectators at the Estadio Pocitos across town. By the time the home side took the field, July 18 versus Peru, the Centenario was at least ready for 70,000 spectators.

Why did FIFA choose Uruguay to host what would become the most popular sporting event on the planet? Two reasons: 1. It won the gold medal at the 1928 Olympics, which to that point had been recognized as the de-facto world championships and 2. The year 1930 was the 100 year anniversary of its independence. (Actually Uruguay won the 1924 Olympic tournament as well, which will give you an idea of how dominant they were at the time). Still, if the sport's governing body had any idea how popular (and lucrative) the quadrennial tournament would become they likely would have kept the maiden edition in Europe.

As it was, the choice of Uruguay did not sit well with European teams, who initially refused to enter the tournament. FIFA managed to force four of them--Belgium, France, Yugoslavia and Romania--to embark on the three-week journey and participate.

The 1930 World Cup was the U.S.' best finish ever--fourth. There has been some talk that the team was reinforced with British nationals, but this has now been largely discredited. Of the six supposed English and Scottish players on the USMNT, "in fact four of those players had moved to the States as teenagers and only one had played professionally in Britain (George Moorehouse), and that was two games at the 3rd division seven years earlier," according to the American Soccer History Archives.

To this day the stadium remains the home base and of the Uruguayan national team, los Charruas. The team boasts an impressive record at the Centenario; Brazil have recorded just two official victories there in 20 attempts and even mighty England have a negative record at Uruguay's national stadium--surely the only ground in the world with this distinction because as we all know England invented the sport and win every game they play, anywhere.

Uruguay has hosted the Copa America, the South American championships seven times, four since the construction of El Centenario. In all four they went undefeated at the ground.

Not all memories are good, however. It was here in 2004 that the Charrua were humiliated 3-0 by Venezuela in a World Cup qualifier, an event its then-coach Juan Ramon Carrasco called "a stain on the history of Uruguayan football." The game cost him his job and Uruguay would not qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Still, it is hard to understate Uruguay's impact on association football in the sport's (relatively) early days. The smallest country to ever win a World Cup very much put South American soccer on the map by triumphing in the Olympic Games of 1924 and 1928 and doing it in a way that dazzled. They were very much the original "Brazilians" as we know them, doing things with the ball hitherto thought impossible. Without Uruguay in the 1920s, who knows if Brazil of the postwar era would have even happened. One more reason to give its national ground the respect it deserves.

As much as Uruguay did for the sport, soccer arguably did even more for the nation's identity. At the time of the first World Cup, "Uruguay, a country of not even three million people, whose creation was the bizarre outcome of great power politics, had hitherto made no impact on the wider world," Daniel Goldblatt wrote in The ball is round: A global history of soccer. "It is difficult to underestimate the degree to which national identity and pride became tied to the fate of the national team" after the 1930 World Cup.

This legacy would be cemented 20 years later as we shall see in a future edition of the "soccer meccas" series.

Ranking the world's soccer meccas: No. 5, Hampden Park, Glasgow

For ranking methodology and other information about the series, see the original post. To read the about the No. 6-rated stadium, the Estadio Bernabeu in Madrid, click here. To see all "soccer mecca" entries click here.

No. 5 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
Open since: 1903
Capacity: 52,000
Tenant(s): Queen's Park, Scotland
World Cup hosts: Never

What's this? A ground that never hosted the World Cup or Euro tournament at number five?!? Believe it. This is one of those instances where the stadium's iconic value outweighs its intrinsic one (though one could of course argue there is no real intrinsic value in a soccer stadium, least of all one that can qualify it as a "mecca". That's another argument for another day).

All right, so what is this iconic value of Hampden Park? Simply put, the stadium has taken over as the defacto historic home of British soccer after Wembley's facelift. It is one of the oldest grounds in Britain (and the world) still used for topflight matches.

(As an aside, if you object to the term "British" for Scotland's national stadium I refer you to the fact that the ground is named after an Englishman, John Hampden.)

The present-day Hampden Park is actually the third rendition (not including several renovations) of the place. The first, that gave the stadium its name, was "in an area of land across from the Recreation Ground under the shadow of Hampden Terrace"--a street named after the aforementioned Englishman, according to HampdenRoar.co.uk. That lasted a mere decade, until 1883, before primary tenant Queens Park found a new home nearby. The second home appears to have been known more as Cathkin Park than Hampden Park, for whatever reason. It was taken over by the now-defunct Third Lanark FC, who rebuilt it from scratch. Glasgow's city council took over the land in the 1960s after Third Lanark went bankrupt. Three quarters of the stadium's 1903 structure survives to this day.

Hampden Park as we know it opened at its present-day location in 1903. Perhaps setting the scene for the "century of hooliganism" that would follow it, Rangers and Celtics fans in 1909 effectively destroyed that rendition of the stadium after a Scottish Cup final replay.

Speaking of the Scottish Cup final, it has been held at Hampden Park every year since 1874 (except for war years, of course).

"The atmosphere is superb when it's a full crowd," says one Scottish football fan who has attended many matches at Hampden Park. "I think the natural geography of that part of the southside of Glasgow helps - the area is a natural 'bowl'-shape, so when you are walking from the train station to the stadium, the area dips down as you approach it, creating a kind of 'cauldron' effect."

That effect is partly responsible for the "Hampden Roar" that dates to the 1929 British Home Championship if Wikipedia is to be believed (which it probably isn't). Some have argued the Hampden Roar hasn't existed in decades, however.

Hampden Park is not all about iconic value. It does hold several records--chief among them the highest attendance at a European soccer match, a record that at nearly 150,000 will probably not be broken--and has hosted many historic matches in its day. Most notably, it was here that Real Madrid won its fifth European Cup, capping a 1959-1960 tournament that was described as "possibly the greatest in the competition's history...with possibly the greatest ever team as winners," by EuropeanCupHistory.com. The Web site describes the final match as follows:

On a warm, windswept night in Glasgow, May 18th 1960 was a date for records to be broken. The Hampden Park attendance of 127,621 is still the biggest for a European Cup Final, the gate receipts of £55,000 were then a British record, there were an estimated 70 million television viewers around Europe, and they were about to see the highest scoring European Cup Final ever.

Ten goals were scored in total on a night that left the crowd "simply awestruck." Eintracht Frankfurt, who had beaten Glasgow Rangers in the semifinal, took an early lead before the Spanish side turned on the style, scoring six straight goals. The final score of 7-3 is not likely to be replicated any time soon in any serious competition, much less a cup final of this magnitude. "At the end, the Real players, with goalkeeper Dominguez carrying the cup, did a lap of honour around the Hampden track to a continuous roar that has seldom, if ever, been heard at a neutral venue," writes ECH.

Four-Four-Two calls the match "the European Cup final that sparked a revolution." Present (and deeply inspired) at Hampden Park that May night was one Alex Ferguson, then 19-years old and a Queens Park trainee striker. He wasn't the only one. Don Revie, then a young manager at Leeds United, made his team switch to white kits in honor (or something) of Real Madrid. Despite not performing particularly well in international competition (England lost a game to the U.S. at the 1950 World Cup for God's sake), Scotland and England to that point in association football history still had an insular air of superiority about their game. That ended May 18, 1960. "After the 1960 final...the blinkers came off," writes Four-Four-Two.

U.K. coaches began studying the continental game, a strategy that paid dividends for Celtic seven years later when it shocked Inter Milan in the European Cup final. Celtic's manager Jock Stein had also found religion from that 1960 game and showed it to his players before their clash with Inter.

The match was also ranked the top European Cup final by the Daily Mail's Jeff Powell.

But it was by no means the only historic event to take place at Hampden Park. Much of European club football history has been written here. The European Cup final was held at Hampden Park again in '76 and won this time by Bayern Munich (with Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeness among others) over Saint Etienne (with former France, Olympique Lyon and Tottenham Hotspur coach Jacques Santini--though not yet with Michel Platini, who would join the squad in 1979).

In 1970, Celtic took a 1-0 lead from the first leg of their European Cup semifinal with Leeds United into the "home" leg at Hampden Park and---after spotting Don Revie's side a goal--won to advance to the final (where they would lose to Feyernoord Rotterdam). The 136,000 plus who were on hand to watch the match constitute another record (biggest crowd at a European cup match) that is not likely to be broken.

An entire book could be (and probably has been) written about the Scottish Cup finals alone. In 1928, 118,000 saw Rangers beat Celtic 4-0. Nearly 30,000 more were at the 1937 version of the event, between Celtic and Aberdeen (won 2-1 by Hoops). Celtic were winners again in 1965, giving Jock Stein the first of many trophies after just six weeks in charge. Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen won four Scottish cups, including three in a row from 1982-84. Only three other clubs (Rangers, Queen's Park and Vale of Leven, though surprisingly not Celtic) have matched that feat. Nobody has won more than three in a row.

Then you have the aforementioned British Home Championships, many of which were decided at Hampden Park. Several times the stakes were even greater than mere "bragging rights" (though this being England and Scotland do you really need any stakes?), perhaps none more famously than in 1950. That year Scotland turned down an invitation to appear in the FIFA World Cup, then agreed to partake only as the champions of Britain--a title that would be settled April 15, 1950 when England played at Hampden Park. The game was decided midway through the second half on a goal by 24-year old Englishman Roy Bentley. The Independent did a terrific story on the match a decade ago.

Until that 1950 tournament, Scotland actually had the edge over England on Home International titles, 18-17. From 1951 until 1984, the last time the tournament was held, it was 15 title wins for England and six for Scotland. One could certainly argue that 1950 game was a watershed event from which Scottish football (at the time one of the preeminent world powers) has yet to recover.

The Tartan Army would get its revenge on England though, with several compelling victories over the 'auld enemy'. The 1967 "pitch invasion" victory at Wembley was the first "unofficial World Championship" but Hampden Park would also be the scene of several Scottish triumphs: In '76 (the same year as Bayern Munich's European Cup victory) a 25-year old Kenny Dalglish got Scotland the winner in its 2-1 victory over England. It was the last time Scotland won the title on their home ground.

Of course Hampden Park was not always about England and Scotland. In 1979 "the 18-year-old Diego Armando Maradona revealed his genius to the world," the BBC reported. Maradona scored his first international goal in Argentina's 3-1 friendly win over Scotland. This was not Maradona's first game in an Argentina shirt, as has wrongly been claimed at points. That came in 1977 at the Bombonera in Buenos Aires (ranked ninth in our list of soccer meccas).

Nor did Hampden Park host the world's first football international in 1872, though this did take place elsewhere in Glasgow. In 1872 England and Scotland squared off at the West of Scotland Cricket Club's Hamilton Crescent ground in the Partick area of Glasgow. The game finished goalless.

The history of Hampden Park continues to be written. This decade it hosted at least a few events that will surely make the soccer history books. In the 2002 Champions League final, Zinedine Zidane's "wonder goal" (link to YouTube video) clinched a record ninth European Cup/Champs League title for Real Madrid. The goal in many ways serves as the defining moment of the "galacticos" era of dominance at Real Madrid, much as the 1960 final did for the Alfredo di Stefano generation. Zidane and Real Madrid were then at their peak; neither would approach those heights again. Zizou was injured for the first two (if memory serves) of France's disappointing "three and out" at the 2002 World Cup and we all know what happened in 2006. The seven years (and counting) since Real's last European title constitute the longest stretch since the 1966-1985 period.

Photo taken from uksport.gov.uk without permission.

Ranking the world's soccer meccas: No. 6 Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

For ranking methodology and other information about the series, see the original post. To read the about the No. 7-rated stadium, the Camp Nou in Barcelona, click here. To see all "soccer mecca" entries click here.

No. 6 Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid
Open since: 1947
Capacity: 80,000
Tenant(s): Real Madrid
World Cup hosts: 1982

We have now had two stadiums in Argentina (Bombonera at No. 9, Monumental at 8), followed by two in Spain (Camp Nou was 7). Is this pattern going to continue? No chance. In fact, I promise the top five will be in countries that have not yet been visited in this series.

We're probably going to have to deal with this eventually so let's get it right out of the way: Why is the Bernabeu ahead of Camp Nou? Two reasons:
1. It's 10 years older and therefore has 10 years' worth of additional history;
2. It hosted a World Cup final, a Euro final (in 1964, before it was known as such) and three European Cups (forerunner to the Champions League) while Barcelona hosted just one Champions League final and semifinals in the other two events.

What this all boils down to is that the Bernabeu has hosted more high profile matches than Camp Nou. From what I can tell Camp Nou appears to have the edge in the "cachet" department but that's a subjective area (not to mention a sensitive one when it comes to Real Madrid and Barcelona. Then again, what isn't?)

What isn't debatable is that Real Madrid has had more success on the pitch than its Catalan rival. Make that more success than just about any club in any nation in any sport: Nine European champions' trophies (including three in the Champions League era), two UEFA and Cup Winners' cups, 31 domestic league titles (even the New York Yankees "only" have 27), 14 Copa del Rey (domestic cup) trophies, eight Spanish Supercopas and three intercontinental cups.

Much of that originates with the stadium's namesake, Santiago Bernabéu Yeste. Himself a former player and manager with the club, Bernabeu became Real Madrid president in 1943--a position he would hold 35 years until his death. It was under his tutelage that Real became what many consider the first "modern" multinational squad, including one that effectively dominated the sport from 1953 to 1960.

It bears mentioning that Bernabeu was an avowed fascist who fought in the Spanish civil war (for Franco, natch). Upon his arrival at Real in 1943 "the club was forever after associated with Franco, with conservative politics and with the Spanish Castilian center in opposition to the pull of the regions, Catalunya (and arch-enemy FC Barcelona) in particular," writes Albion Road in its history of the club.

As distasteful as this is (particularly to somebody in the U.S., the country that invented freedom and democracy) Bernabeu deserves credit for building Real from complete scratch after the civil war. At that point the club had been left for dead by the Spanish government, which gave financial support to Atletico Madrid, and by the Madrid establishment, which also cast its lot with the rojiblancos, according to brjago.eu.

Building the stadium that would eventually bear his name was a central part of Bernabeu's plan. At the time its size was seen as absurdly ambitious--only slightly less absurd than the concept of a dedicated training ground across the street, another idea developed by Bernabeu. How he got (what I'm assuming were) private sector sources to finance these operations at that time and place remains another question entirely. But given this backdrop it is perhaps no coincidence that the stadium stands right next to the heart of Madrid's central business district.

The postwar history of both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team was largely written at the Bernabeu. The 1964 European Nations' Cup (as the Euro was then known) was a coming out party of sorts, with Spain playing--and winning--its semifinal and final matches at the Bernabeu. Both games were highly dramatic: The semifinal against Hungary went to extra time (links to uefa.com match report) and the final against the Soviet Union, attended by Franco himself, was decided late in the second half. Other than a silver medal at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium and a fourth place finish at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, this was until 2008 Spain's crowning (and only) achievement in world soccer.

Seven years prior to the European championships, Real Madrid defeated Fiorentina in the second-ever European Cup final before 120,000 on their home grounds, a game that was eclipsed by its semifinal victory over Matt Busby's Manchester United (playing in their first European cup).

The following season Real were pushed to the limit by their crosstown rivals in the tournament's semifinals. Had the games been played under today's rules, Atletico would have advanced after losing the first leg at Bernabeu 2-1 and winning at home 1-0. But in those days a third match was required, which Real won 2-1 in Zaragoza.

Real won the first five European cups but their run ended in 1960. Up until that point no team had so much as managed a draw at Bernabeu--a 15-game winning streak where they amassed a goal difference of 66-8, according to EuropeanCupHistory.com. That ended on Nov. 9, 1960 (the same day John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United States) in a 2-2 draw with old rivals Barcelona. Their first home defeat came two years later when Juventus Turin won the return leg of the semifinals by 1-0, matching Real's margin of victory from the first leg and forcing a third game (in Paris, which Real won. They would lose the final to Benfica Lisbon).

That fall, one of the biggest upsets in European football to that point took place at Bernabeu, when Belgian side Anderlecht managed a 3-3 draw in the first leg of their first round match up. The Belgians won the return leg 1-0 and Real was out.

In the first round of the 1967 tournament, Real defeated Ajax Amsterdam (with Johan Cruyff) in a memorable return leg by 2-1 in extra time on a goal from Jose Luis Veloso. Later that season Manchester United won a stirring semifinal on a goal by Munich survivor Bill Foulkes (assist to George Best) to advance to its first European cup final.

The final was held at Bernabeu again in 1969 but AC Milan won an anticlimactic match 4-1 over Ajax Amsterdam.

The 70s were a pretty bad decade for Real but the Bernabeu did see some impressive comebacks from their heroes. In '75 the Madrilenos bounced back from a 4-1 loss to Derby County to win 5-1 and advance and in '80 they returned a 2-0 loss at Celtic into a 3-0 victory at home to reach the semis. They would lose to defending champions Hamburg SV. The German side(with Kevin Keegan) lost a memorable final at the Bernabeu to Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest largely thanks to the heroics of Peter Shilton, according to this UEFA.com match report. That may have been the second-most famous match ever held at the Bernabeu.

The most famous was of course the 1982 World Cup final, though it was a bit of a letdown after the semifinal epic in Seville three nights earlier. Italy defeated Germany 3-1 with all goals scored in the second half. For some reason the Bernabeu only hosted four games that tournament: three in the second group stage and the final. Bobby Robson's England side in fact played its second group stage matches here, but both were forgettable 0-0 draws to West Germany and the hosts Spain, respectively. West Germany won the group with a 2-1 victory over Spain.

Photo taken without permission from unosaficionados.com.

Please share any memories or tidbits, including information on epic matches I may have omitted!

Ranking the world's soccer meccas: No. 7, Camp Nou, Barcelona

For ranking methodology and other information about the series, see the original post. To read the about the No. 8-rated stadium, the Monumental in Buenos Aires click here. To see all "soccer mecca" entries click here.

7. Camp Nou, Barcelona
Open since: 1957
Capacity: 98,000
Tenant(s): FC Barcelona
World Cup hosts: 1982

In its relatively brief (by soccer mecca standards) history, Barcelona's Camp Nou has hosted some memorable matches: a World Cup, a memorable Champions League final (very memorable for Manchester United fans) and an Olympic gold medal game, to name but a few. Then there are the countless Clasico matches between its primary tenant, FC Barcelona, and a certain Real Madrid, each of which is memorable in its own right.

The stadium was built in the mid-1950s to accommodate surging interest in the club, especially after the arrival of Hungarian superstar Ladislau Kubala, according to the club's Web site. Hard as this may be to believe today, Hungary were once a world footballing power even though Kubala, who joined the club in 1950, played only three times for the country (he also played for Czechoslovakia and Spain. This being in the days before FIFA mandated rules on international eligibility). Kubala is an interesting case about whom a whole can be written, but for our purposes it is only worth noting that he was one of the major catalyst's for the construction of Camp Nou.

The stadium is massive. Nearly 50 meters high, it once fit 120,000 spectators and a massive pitch (120 meters, or about 115 yards long and 83 meters, or 78 yards wide) that was eventually downsized to UEFA regulations. "The stadium is like a sporting canyon, with the pitch actually some 25 feet (8m) below street level and the tiers of seats seemingly rising to the heavens," writes urinal.net. Even at its current capacity of 98,000 it remains the largest soccer grounds in Europe. It plans to become the largest in the world, after an extensive remodeling that was announced around the stadium's 50th anniversary two years ago. Fortunately for those of us who have not yet been there, the renovation will "maintain the characteristic asymmetry of the Camp Nou (between the lateral area and the grandstand)" while altering just its outside appearance.

The grounds has hosted numerous famous matches that we'll get to shortly, but what might be more interesting is the number of superstar players who have called Camp Nou home over the decades. Names like Cruyff, Maradona, Schuster, Lineker, Hagi, Stoichkov, Laudrup, Romario and Ronaldo have all figured in the team's lineup at some point. So have Figo, Kluivert, Larsson, Davids, Riquelme and Overmars, to name but a few. Add in the players who have been on the visitor's end of Camp Nou and the grounds has literally seen who's who of the biggest names in the game the past half century.

Those include David Beckham and Lothar Matthaeus, who faced off in one of the more memorable Champions League finals in history (certainly since it's been known by that name) at Camp Nou on May 26, 1999. As any fan over the age of say, 15, can recall, United were down 1-0 late but got a pair of stoppage time goals to capture their second European trophy. Bayern narrowly missed putting the game to bed several times in the second half, with the post or crossbar or Peter Schmeichel's heroics keeping the ball out of the Man U. net. The outcome was particularly cruel to Matthaeus, who was playing his last game for Bayern and had suffered a similar fate in the 1987 final.

Camp Nou hosted five games in the 1982 World Cup, though not the famous semifinal between West Germany and France (that was held in Seville). It did host the other semifinal, where a Paolo Rossi brace saw Italy advance at the expense of Poland. Italy would hoist the trophy three days later in Madrid.

The 1982 tournament's opening match, between Argentina and Belgium, was also held at Camp Nou. Belgium upset the defending champs 1-0 thanks in no small part to some superb saves by Jean Marie Pfaff. Scroll to 1:55 of this YouTube video if you don't believe me. Or 6:15 of this one. Though the entire Belgian defense was superb that day.

Camp Nou also was where a trio of second-round group stage matches were played in the '82 tournament, though the stadium was definitely on the short end of the stick, hosting Poland, Belgium and the Soviet Union while across town at the Estadio Sarria Italy, Barcelona and Argentina were in a "group of death." The Camp Nou still saw Zbigniew Boniek score a hat trick in Poland's 3-nil upset of Belgium. Belgium also lost their second match of that stage, 1-0 to the Soviet Union, which made the finale between the USSR and Poland effectively a quarterfinal match with the winner advancing to the semis. The match ended scoreless, allowing Poland to advance on goal difference.

Just weeks before the World Cup curtain-raiser, Barca hosted Standard Liege in the final of the 1982 Cup Winners' Cup. Down 1-0 in first half stoppage time, Denmark's Allan Simonson equalized to put Barca on their way. Quini got the winner around the hour mark to give Barca's legendary German coach Udo Lattek his third European trophy--a feat that was later matched by Giovanni Trapattoni.

Many famous Clasico matches took place at Camp Nou. The biggest in recent memory was probably the first leg of the 2002 Champions League semifinal, also known as the "pig's head match" because Figo was pelted with that object when he went to take a corner. Real won 2-nil on their way to capturing the trophy and Barca was fined for their fans' behavior. How they managed to sneak an entire pig's head into the game is another question entirely.

That event is almost child's play compared to some from the more distant past.

In the 1970 Copa del Rey quarterfinal return leg, Barca were up 1-nil (they had lost the first leg 2-0) and threatening to score when referee Emilio Guruceta called an extremely dubious penalty in Real's favor. The penalty was converted, several Barca players left the match in protest and fans invaded the pitch, literally chasing Guruceta and his assistants and forcing the suspension of the match two minutes from time. Real went on to capture the Copa in one of the few seasons where neither club managed a top three league finish. "Thus began the famous Guruceta affair, a long-running controversy as to whether the young but cocky referee had succumbed to temptation and been bought off by someone in the pay of Real Madrid," writes Phil Ball in Morbo: The story of Spanish football. The matter remains in dispute, but what is accepted fact is that Guruceta later took a bribe from Belgian side Anderlecht ahead of its 1984 UEFA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest. Ball later tracked down one of Guruceta's linesman from the 1970 match and in a scene right out of All the President's Men, got the information he was looking for. (You'll have to buy the book and read it yourself. I'm not going to spoil it for you).

Of course Real's storied teams from the 1950s played (and often, though not always) won at Camp Nou. The two sides faced each other in the 1960 European cup semifinal, with Madrid winning both legs by 3-1 scores en route to their fifth straight European crown. The following year, Barca put an end to Real's streak when the clubs met in the first elimination round. The return leg at Camp Nou was again controversial with Real this time on the receiving end of some dubious refereeing (they were disallowed four goals). Barca went on to the final and lost to Benfica. Still, the blaugrana became the first club to eliminate Real Madrid from European competition and pulled this feat off at their storied home grounds--a lone bright spot in one of the club's worst decades.

In 1990 the two sides faced each other in the Spanish Supercup final return leg at Camp Nou, in a match made (in)famous for Stoichkov stepping on the referee's foot. Real won 1-nil and its Mexican striker Hugo Sanchez added an exclamation point by making obscene gestures to the Barca faithful. He was suspended four games. Stoichkov got eight.

There was also Lineker's hat trick in January 1987, Romario's hat trick en route to a 5-nil Barca beat down in 1994, Roberto Carlos being hit in the head with a cigarette lighter launched from the stands in 1997 and Raul's "shushing" the Camp Nou faithful in 1999.

Of course, Barca also played some memorable games against Camp Nou that were not against their archrival. In 1984 they defeated Manchester United in the first leg of an epic Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinal before advancing 3-2 on aggregate after Bryan Robson led a spirited Red Devils comeback.

In 1983, Atletic Bilbao's Andoni Goikoetxea nearly ended Maradona's career with a brutal foul. Then there was an epic UEFA Cup semifinal encounter with IFK Gotheborg in 1986. After losing the first leg in Sweden by 3-0, Barca returned the favor and won the match on penalties (they would lose the final to Steaua Bucharest). In the same tournament the following season, Juan Carlos Rojo (who famously won the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship MVP ahead of Maradona) made a triumphant return from injury, scoring twice as a substitute against Germany's Bayer Uerdingen. Rojo's career would sadly be cut short by injury the following year, leaving Barca fans wondering what might have been.

The early 1990s nevertheless saw a new golden age of Barca football with the so-called Dream Team era (named after the NBA stars who won gold for the U.S. at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics). That comparison is of course patently unfair; The Dream Team quite literally didn't break a sweat in steamrolling all its opponents while Barca had to put forth sustained efforts to win matches during its "dream team" era--and even then, they didn't win them all. Still, there were some impressive feats by the blaugrana, now under the tutelage of Johan Cruyff: four liga titles between 1991 and 1994, the 1992 European Cup (right before it became the Champions League), the European Super Cup in 1992 and three Supercopas.

We've noted some memorable moments from those years that took place at Camp Nou. Others include a 5-4 victory over Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the 1997 Copa del Rey semifinal (okay I suppose this was technically after the "dream team" era). After tying the first leg at Calderon 2-2, Barca were down 3-nil but somehow rallied to advance to the final, where they beat Real Betis.

On the final matchday of the 2000-2001 season, Barca were fifth, three points behind Valencia and the last Champions League spot. The two sides faced off at the Camp Nou. Rivaldo supplied a hat trick for the home side, who won 3-2 and edged Valencia from fourth place. Nearly a decade later, Barca fans are still raving about Rivaldo's third goal, two minutes from time.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I failed to mention the 1992 Olympic gold medal game between Spain and Poland. In retrospect it is somewhat amazing that a Spanish side featuring the likes of Alberto Ferrer, Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola, Abelardo and Kiko "only" won by a 3-2 score. Poland actually had the lead at halftime and the match seemed destined for extra time when Kiko scored the winner in the waning minutes. It's safe to assume the victory was Spain's greatest triumph at Camp Nou--and arguably its greatest victory period until Vienna last summer.

Photo supplied by Wikimedia Commons.

Ranking the world's soccer meccas: No. 8, El Monumental, Buenos Aires

For ranking methodology and other information about the series, see the original post. To read the about the No. 9-rated stadium, the Bombonera in Buenos Aires click here. To see all "soccer mecca" entries click here.

8. Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti (El Monumental), Buenos Aires
Open since: 1938 (renovated 1978)
Capacity: 66,000
Tenant(s): River Plate, Argentine national team
World Cup hosts: 1978
Closest U.S. stadium comparison: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.

If the Bombonera is Argentina's version of Fenway Park--an odd-shaped, quirky, loud grounds in a residential neighborhood--then El Monumental is Yankee Stadium: big, grandiose, corporate, of "the establishment." Some of that of course stems from the identity of the stadium's main tenent; River Plate is very much the "establishment" club of Argentina (one of the club's nicknames is los millionarios, or the millionaires), and of the posh Nunez neighborhood where El Monumental was built. Just like the Yankees...if Yankee Stadium weren't in the Bronx, that is.

The Monumental is the national grounds of Argentina, where its storied albicelestes play (nearly all) their home games. Imagine if Wembley Stadium also hosted, say, Chelsea, or the Stade de France held Paris Saint Germain games, and you get a a bit of the idea.

Wait, so if the Bombonera was already featured, what is the Monumental doing here? Are there really two stadiums from one city in the list of top 10 soccer meccas? Yes there are. However, both are relatively far back in the rankings (at eight and nine there are seven stadia still ahead of them). Each is distinct and famous in its own right (and for different reasons at that). It would have been an injustice to leave out one or the other. So there you have it.

El Monumental was Argentina's first industrial, steel and concrete soccer stadium and consists of two tiers in the shape of a horse shoe. During its early years it contained a school and medical practice.

The Monumental edges the Bombonera in the standings for one simple reason: it hosted a World Cup. Not only that, but it was the scene of both the 1978 final and third-placed games (won by Argentina and Brazil, respectively).

That World Cup tournament is historically significant, but sadly for all the wrong reasons. It was a propaganda coup for the military junta that ruled Argentina at the time (indeed 1978 may have very well been the peak of its power--no coincidence there). In this respect, many have compared it to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. An LA Times article from last year deals with this theme at greater length.

In the three decades since the tournament, other nefarious allegations have surfaced. Did the Colombian mafia bribe the Peruvian national team to throw its second round game with the host nation, as this Daily Mail piece points out? Were the Argentine players doped for the final? (A urine sample that was supposed to have been taken from an Argentine player showed the individual in question to be pregnant, a strong indication that the samples were at least tampered with, if not doctored outright).

As for the Monumental, it hosted Argentina's first round games but not the infamous win over Peru (or the violent scoreless draw against Brazil; those matches were held in Rosario). It did host a preview of the 1982 final, between Italy and West Germany (the game ended scoreless) as well as Italy's first round upset of the hosts (a 1-nil game where a certain Paolo Rossi assisted on the winning goal) that kept Argentina from playing its second round games at El Monumental. It was also where Argentina narrowly defeated France (with a young Michel Platini) in its opener.

And of course the final, an overtime thriller the hosts won through a brace by their hero Mario Kempes, was held here. That match, undoubtedly the most famous in the stadium's history, and probably one of the most exciting World Cup finals of all time, was not without controversy either. The home side didn't like the Israeli referee assigned to the match so it lobbied (successfully) for an Italian one. Argentine players delayed the kickoff protesting a cast on the arm of a Dutch player. Once it finally started, the home side (through Kempes, natch) took a first half lead before Holland's Dick Nanninga equalized eight minutes from time. The Netherlands apparently had Argentina on the ropes at this point and were robbed of a clear penalty moments after the equalizer by the Italian referee. In stoppage time they came an inch or two from winning their only World Cup when Robbie Rensinbrink fired a shot off the post from point blank range. The Oranje have not come close since. The Argentines scored twice in overtime to clinch the victory.

Did the most famous Argentine player of all time ever play at El Monumental? Not in that World Cup he didn't. The then-17-year old Diego Armando Maradona was left off of Cesar Luis Menotti's squad. But there were many other appearances, including several for the Argentine national team. He scored several goals as well, both for the albicelestes and for club side Boca Juniors. His first appearance at the Monumental may have been as early as 1973 when his Argentinos Juniors' Cebollitas youth club beat River's juniors 5-4 in a city final, according to the Leandro Zannoni book Vivir en los medios: Maradona off the record (page 21). It appears Maradona played his last match as a professional at the Monumental, in a 1997 SuperClasico won by Boca Juniors to whom he had returned in 1995. Maradona also coached his first game for the Argentina national team here, a 4-0 victory over Venezuela this March.

Other than the '78 tournament, the stadium may unfortunately be best known for the Puerta 12 tragedy of June 23, 1968 (a decade and two days before the Holland-Argentina final). 71 fans were killed in a crush at the Monumental's Gate 12. There are various explanations of what happened in what was one of the worst incidents with soccer fans in the history of the sport (and the worst on Argentine territory, ever).

Of course there are happier memories as well. Many from the annual SuperClasico between Boca Juniors and River Plate. In October, 1972 the home side went up two-nil, was scored on four straight times, rallied to win 5-4 in the highest-scoring SuperClasico of all time. Another famous River comeback was in 1997, when the home side was down three goals but managed to eke out a 3-3 draw. Boca Juniors had their moments as well, the biggest (by score at least, not necessarily magnitude) in a 5-1 blowout victory in March 1982. More recently, in 2004 Boca won the return leg of a Copa Libertadores semifinal on penalties after the two sides traded goals in the final minutes (Carlos Tevez supplied one of the goals for Boca Juniors).

In 1986, River won their first Copa Libertadores final, winning the return leg at the Monumental over America of Colombia by 1-0 (they won the first leg 2-1). This event was repeated, with identical protagonists, in the 1996 version of the final, though this time River lost the first leg at Cali before coming through in the return at the Monumental.

The Argentine national team has played several historic matches here (beyond 1978 of course) and a few they'd rather forget. The biggest of the latter may be a 5-0 loss to Colombia in a 1993 World Cup qualifier, a scoreline made even more incredible by the fact that Argentina had a 33-game unbeaten run coming into the game. (Was this what caused Pele to famously predict Colombia would win the World Cup in 1994? Who knows). The albiceleste were forced to play a qualifier with Australia as a result.

Another bitter memory (from an Argentine point of view) came in the semifinals of the 1987 Copa America games, where Uruguay upset the hosts 1-0. Uruguay went on to win the tournament over Chile (also at the Monumental). Argentina didn't even win the game for third place, succumbing to Colombia.

More pleasant albiceleste memories are the 1946 South American championship. Argentina played several times at the Monumental, winning all games including the final against Brazil in another famous encounter marked by fighting on the pitch with police. In the 1959 iteration of the tourney, Argentina beat Brazil (with a 19-year old Pele) again in the final--again at the Monumental.

Speaking of Pele, he did quite well at the Monumental. In the aforementioned 1959 tourney, he scored an astonishing eight times in six games. Amazingly, those appear to have been the only times Pele ever played in Argentina as a member of the selecao (not sure about his appearances with his club side. Somebody else can research that).

Now is where all the Boca fans can cry about the injustice of putting the Monumental ahead of their beloved Bombonera. Have at it, Xeneizes!

Photo taken from 100x100millonario.blogspot.com

Ranking the world's soccer meccas: No. 9, Estadio Alberto J. Armando (La Bombonera), Buenos Aires

For ranking methodology and other information about the series, see the original post. To read the about the No. 10-rated stadium, the San Siro in Milan, go here. To see all "soccer mecca" entries click here or on the "topics covered here" link below right.

9. Estadio Alberto J. Armando (La Bombonera), Buenos Aires
Open since: 1940 (renovated 1995-96)
Capacity: 57,395
Tenant(s): Boca Juniors
World Cup hosts: Never
Closest U.S. stadium comparison: Fenway Park, Boston.

Okay, so how can a place make this list if it never even hosted a single World Cup match? Because it's the Bombonera, that's why. The Estadio Alberto J. Armando (it's official name since 2000) is preceded by its quasi-mystical reputation. It is said to be the most intimidating place to play, anywhere. The curious shape that gives the grounds its name (a "flat" stand on one side of the pitch and three steep stands around the rest resembles a candy box, or bombonera in Spanish) only adds to its mystique and contributes to the raucous acoustics. The place quite literally sways back and forth when its crazed fans are in full frenzy. Attending a match at the Bombonera, preferably for a Boca Juniors vs. River Plate superclasico, is arguably a requirement for anybody wishing to call themselves a true fan of the beautiful game.

If this makes the stadium sound like a veritable temple to the sport, that's because it is. So why then isn't it higher up in these rankings? Indeed, why isn't it No. 1? Simple. For all its (numerous) charms, the Bombonera has hosted few matches of historical significance. Perhaps because one of the times it did, in 1969, the home side (in this case the Argentine national team) managed just a 2-2 draw with Peru in a vital World Cup qualifier that kept the albiceleste out of the 1970 World Cup. It was not used in the 1978 World Cup. Unfortunately, this dearth of historic activity keeps the grounds from becoming the mecca of the sport.

Which is not to say La Bombonera hasn't hosted some important, if not groundbreaking events in world soccer. It was here that a certain Diego Armando Maradona received his first cap for the Argentine national team, entering as a second-half substitute in a 1977 friendly against Hungary. (Maradona did not play his first professional game here, as is often assumed because of his affiliation with Boca Juniors, a club he did not actually join until 1981, when he was 21 years old. Previously he played with Argentinos Juniors). Juan Riquelme got his full international debut at La Bombonera in a 1997 World Cup qualifier against Colombia (which ended in a 1-1 draw). In 1968, Manchester United played here (and lost, to Estudiantes) in the first leg of the Intercontinental Cup. In 1977, Boca Juniors hosted Borussia Moenchengladbach of Germany (after Liverpool passed on the invite) in the same tournament. England played a friendly here in 1977 (and drew, 1-1. Hard to believe there were once "friendly" matches between England and Argentina).

Then there are the Superclasico matches, between River Plate and Boca Juniors, about which an entire book can be (and probably has been) written. The U.K.'s Observer famously listed attending one of these matches as the very first of 50 "sporting events you must do before you die." About 220 such matches have been played, not including friendlies. Many of these have been held at La Bombonera, including several epic encounters: In 1962, Boca beat River 1-0 to move into first place (they captured the title in the next round). In 1974, Carlos Garcia Cambon scored four goals in his Boca Juniors debut as the home side won 5-2 (Gambon remains the only player of either team to have scored four times in the Superclasico). In 1996, Claudio Caniggia scored three as Boca defeated River 4-1. In 2000, Boca won the return leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinal by 3-0 to advance to the semis 4-2 on aggregate. They would eventually win the tournament. Of course, River had their share of triumphs at La Bombonera as well, perhaps most famously in 1977 when they scored a last minute winner on their way to the Metropolitano championship.

Photo taken from stadiumguide.com.

New series: Ranking the world's 'soccer meccas'

Just like there is only one true Mecca, can there really only be one true spiritual home of world soccer? Until recently, such a place existed in the form of Wembley Stadium (the most storied grounds in the capital city of the founding nation of the sport? I don't think anybody could compete with that) but the old Wembley was demolished in 2003 and replaced with a new version four years later. Impressive as the new Wembley might be, it simply does not have the history or character (yet) to inherit the title. So who does? Probably no single stadium is the obvious heir apparent, but Soccer Source came up with a short list and ranked them.

A word on our ranking methodology:
Put simply, there were three criteria: the number of times a stadium hosted major events such as World Cup matches, the magnitude of these events in the history of the sport, and the stadium's "aura." This last item was admittedly harder to pin down: It could be architecture, location, size, quirks or other intangibles that make the grounds in question a temple of the sport.

In this, the first iteration of the series, we unveil 10th place. Next time we'll bring you No. 9, the issue after that, No. 8, and so on until we will have a complete list. Enjoy!

10. Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro), Milan
Open since: 1926 (renovated in 1989)
Capacity: 80,000
Tenant(s): AC Milan, Inter Milan
World Cup hosts: 1934, 1990

The San Siro is home to two of the world's most storied clubs but has never hosted a World Cup or Euro final. It did host the final for the Champions League (or its predecessor, the Champions Cup) three times, most recently in 2001 when Bayern Munich defeated Valencia on penalties, largely thanks to the heroics of one Oliver Kahn. The others were in '65 (Inter Milan over Benfica Lisbon) and '70 (Feyernoord Rotterdam over Celtic).

It was here that Cameroon's Indomitable Lions defeated Argentina in the curtain raiser of the 1990 World Cup. That event was likely the "coming out" party for African soccer on the world stage, as Cameroon became the first team from the continent to advance to the quarterfinals at a World Cup. In that same tournament, eventual champions West Germany played their group stage matches at the San Siro.

In 1934, Italy defeated Austria's Wunderteam (probably the favorites to hoist the trophy that year) 1-0 in a semifinal game.

Architecturally, the stadium is not terribly interesting, though the four corner towers give it a distinct signature. It is massive, modernist and rather impersonal, though it certainly gets very loud on gamedays.

Have you been to the San Siro? Where do you think it ranks among 'soccer meccas'?