40 years ago, on the afternoon of Saturday, August 15, 1981, Argentine soccer lived two ends, one of the most memorable days in its history. In the Bombonera, the glory: Boca drew 1-1 with Racing, won the Metropolitan tournament after an exciting heads-up with Ferro Carril Oeste, and allowed Diego Maradona to be champion for the first time in his career. And in Caballito, the drama: San Lorenzo lost 1-0 to Argentinos Juniors and became the first big team to descend to B in professionalism. The two events occurred in parallel. And if each of them implied a shock in itself, the combination of both left an emotional mark difficult to ignore, four decades later.
It was another football. So different that neither game was broadcast on television live and simultaneously. What is natural at this time was a rarity at the time. Channel 7 (today Public Television) broadcast the consecration of Boca and Maradona and San Lorenzo-Argentinos on a delayed basis, as soon as blurred news images are preserved. It was the gigantic transmissions of José María Muñoz on Radio Rivadavia and Víctor Hugo Morales on Radio El Mundo among others, which narrated the minute by minute of similar definitions to the footballing country.
Actually, that Saturday was the culmination of three weeks of extremely high tension at both ends of the standings.. On Sunday, August 2, that Boca directed by Silvio Marzolini and in which Maradona and Miguel Angel Brindisi shone, had won 1-0 in an anticipated final against that Ferro that Carlos Timoteo Griguol had put together with the care of a craftsman, and who had been biting him the heels from the beginning of the second wheel. After a brilliant pass from Maradona, a goal from Hugo Perotti ten minutes before closing time that generated an impressive avalanche in the local tribune, allowed Boca to take three points ahead (49 to 46) with two dates remaining. In those times, the triumphs gave two points and not three, as now.
That same Sunday, in the Ferro field where he was the local after the closure and dismantling of the Old Gasometer on Avenida La Plata, San Lorenzo, with goals from Héctor Scotta and Rubén Insúa and under the leadership of Juan Carlos Lorenzo, he defeated 2 -1 to Angel Labruna’s River and relieved his compromised situation in the table. There were no averages at the time (they were established in 1983) and the last two in the positions fell. Colón, Argentinos Juniors, Sarmiento and San Lorenzo were immersed in a titanic point-to-point fight. And that afternoon in Junín, Sarmiento had made it even more difficult for Argentinos by beating him 4-3.
If on Sunday the 9th, Boca beat Central in Rosario, he would make the Olympic return as a visitor. The xeneize fans took over the Arroyito stadium. But he withdrew empty-handed: with a free kick goal from left-back Jorge García in the second half, Central won 1-0. Boca could have tied a penalty: but Maradona’s left-foot hit the crossbar and postponed the resolution for another week. Ferro, who drew 3-3 with Huracán in Caballito, a match that won 3-0 in the initial stage, had narrowed the difference by one point (49 to 48) and speculated that Racing would defeat Boca in La Bombonera to force a tiebreaker .
Also due to the decline, the definitions were moved to the last date. San Lorenzo equaled 0-0 with Vélez as a visitor and was left with 28 points, in the same line as Sarmiento (who struck out beating Estudiantes 1-0 in La Plata with a goal from “Toti” Iglesias) and one point more than Argentinos, who beat Unión 2-1 in La Paternal and in the week had added an additional point: the AFA Disciplinary Court gave him a win by doping of the player Abelardo Carabelli, the match that he had equaled 2-2 with Talleres de Cordova. The program held an end to the heart attack. San Lorenzo and Argentinos had to face each other in Caballito: the one who lost went to B.
All emotions came together then on that unique Saturday 40 years ago: simultaneously, Boca and Maradona played the title against Racing and San Lorenzo risked permanence and history against Argentinos. The match in the Bombonera was so tense that after 15 minutes of play, the referee Abel Gnecco had already sent off Perotti and Córdoba in Boca and Olarticoechea and the Uruguayan Carrasco in Racing. Nine against nine, Boca took the lead at the end of the first half with a Maradona penalty goal. And although Racing tied him two minutes from the end with a header from Pedro Omar Roldán, he was able to release the champion’s cry with a point advantage (50 to 49) over Ferro who at the same time had dispatched Platense 3-0 on the Atlanta court. For Diego, it was the first title of his odd career. And so he celebrated, going around the Olympics and singing on the fans’ litters.
In Caballito, there was no truce for hearts: At 17 minutes, referee Carlos Espósito gave San Lorenzo a penalty: it was executed by Eduardo Delgado from San Juan and Mario Alles, the Uruguayan goalkeeper for Argentinos, stopped the shot and the rebound. Argentinos also had a penalty in their favor. And as Carlos Salinas converted it, he won 1-0 and made possible what was thought impossible: that one of the five majors went downhill amid the unspeakable sadness of his people.
While the fans of Boca and Maradona celebrated in the streets the new champion star, those of San Lorenzo made a pilgrimage in tears and pinched each other without being able to believe the nightmare they were living. The ecstasy of triumph and the agony of defeat, the glory and drama of football. All that it was lived at the same time that afternoon 40 years ago, in one of the most exciting definitions that Argentine football has given throughout its history.
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