Duel for avoiding relegation was also Pelé’s thousandth goal

During the history of Santos, it became intertwined with Vasco’s, especially during the Pelé era. The first Santos title in the Torneio Rio-São Paulo was won 3-0 over Vasco at Pacaembu in 1959, marking Pelé’s first goal against the Rio club. They faced off many times in the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa (Robertão), Copa Brasil, Taça de Prata, and Rio-São Paulo, leading up to their most historic clash. On November 19, 1969, Santos defeated Vasco da Gama 2-1 at Maracanã, with goals from Benetti for Vasco, an own goal by Renê for Santos, and Pelé scoring his thousandth goal in football history. He was the first to achieve this feat, with a penalty kick that halted the football world, remembered to this day everywhere. It’s worth mentioning the line-ups of the teams: