1950 Latin Cup

The 1950 Latin Cup (Portuguese: Taça Latina 1950) was the second edition of the annual Latin Cup which was played by clubs of the Southwest European nations of France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The tournament was hosted by Portugal, and Portuguese club Benfica was the winner of the tournament after defeating Bordeaux by a score of 2–1 in the final match replay after sudden death extra time.

The host of the tournament was Portugal,^[1] and all matches were played in one host stadium.

The first semi-final game was played between Benfica and Lazio. The Italians were considered favorites, given their triumph over the Spanish champion Atlético Madrid in the Teresa Herrera Trophy, won in preparation for the tournament. The Portuguese club scored first in the opening minutes, when Julinho opened the scoring. Rogério extended the lead for the home side, who scored their third goal in the second half through Arsenio.^[2]

The other semi-final, also played at the Estádio Nacional, pitted French champions Bordeaux against Spanish champions Atlético Madrid. Kargu opened the scoring for the French side with a free-kick, and Doye extended their lead before the end of the first half. Atlético, managed by Helenio Herrera, pulled one back through Ben Barek, who scored with his chest early in the second half. In the 77th minute, Atlético equalized through Carlsson, who capitalized on a cross from Olmedo, and with just two minutes remaining, when it seemed the game would end in a draw, Kargu scored his second goal, followed by a fourth for the French team, scored by Doye in the 90th minute.

After being eliminated in the semifinals, Lazio and Atlético Madrid played for third place. Both teams had met days before in the Teresa Herrera Trophy, and there had been several altercations between the two sides. In the eleventh minute, Ben M'Barek opened the scoring, but a few minutes later Piacentini and Carlsson were sent off after altercations. Escudero scored Atlético's second goal, receiving a pass from Ben M'Barek and shooting powerfully past Fioravanti.^[5] Lazio were reduced to nine men after Sementini was sent off for insulting the referee, and their reaction was to leave the field for a few minutes in protest. In the second half, Nyers reduced the deficit and the Spaniards were also reduced to nine men when Escudero was sent off, and the match ended 2–1, with the Madrid team in third and Lazio in fourth.^[6]

Benfica and Bordeaux contested the final, in a game with high expectations. Benfica opened the scoring and extended its lead to 2–0, but the French side managed to turn the score around to 3–2 before halftime. Pascoal equalized early in the second half, and despite both teams creating several opportunities, there were no further goals. After regulation time, thirty minutes of extra time were played, maintaining the tie. The result led to a replay match.^[8]

The following Sunday, again at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor, the replay match was held. In the first half, the visitors opened the scoring through Édouard Kargu. The French side maintained the advantage until near the end, with Benfica creating several opportunities but not managing to score, until, in the 89th minute, a counter-attack finished by Arsénio made it 1–1.^[10] The draw forced a new extra time, in which no goals were scored. With the score still tied, a second extra time began, this time with ten minutes in each half and with the golden goal rule. As the tie persisted, a third extra time was required. In the 146th minute of the game, Julinho scored a header to make it 2–1. After the goal, referee Bertolio blew the final whistle, giving the victory to Benfica at the end of a final that, in total, lasted 266 minutes.^[11]

• Latin Cup (Full Results) from RSSSF