The irony of fate could not be greater. Rubén Vargas and Alejandro Balde marked Dominican football with indelible ink after becoming the first to take part in a World Cup match, leaving a historic trail of major nuances.
The most outstanding event was produced by Vargas (Humberto’s son), who with the Swiss team was not only the first starting player in a World Cup, but also completed the enormous Dominican feat of two participants in the same tournament, after the sensation Balde I did it as a replacement in the first match of Spain.
Both Dominicans, born overseas, left behind the previous milestone of Víctor Núñez, a man born in the Dominican Republic who emigrated to Costa Rica and in the 2006 World Cup (Germany) became the pioneer who was part of a squad (he never participated in the countryside).
And what an irony! It was precisely against the Ticos that the milestone for Balde (son of Gleddy Martínez) took place, after jumping onto the field in the Spanish defense, replacing winger Jordi Alba.
While Vargas, as has been the custom since his promotion to the Swiss, started as a winger in attack against Cameroon, one of the most feared African rivals.
Vargas, the handle
Rubén Vargas confirmed his great ability to generate attack against the Indomitable Lions, with an excellent performance during the 81 minutes he was on the pitch.
The midfielder kept gravitating throughout the game, and in the 65th minute he almost extended the Swiss advantage with a ball he received in the six-yard box, which he finished off with a volley before which the Cameroonian goalkeeper blocked with a spectacular manoeuvre.
Vargas had previously distributed two balls in direct shots that soon became goals from shots just a few steps from the goal of Nico Elvedi (m 40) and Manuel Ikanji (m 45).
Balde, a versatile defender who, at just 19 years old, is already building continuity with Barcelona, played for 26 minutes against Costa Rica; while Vargas (24 years old) is in his fourth year with Augsburg, in the German Bundesliga.
Balde made the team after the impediment of Jose Luis Gayá due to injury. His anchorage in the Barcelona squad is among the most armored, with a clause of 500 million euros to leave the club.
The next match for the Red Fury will be on Sunday in the most anticipated match of the World Cup, against Germany. While Switzerland will return to the field on Monday for another highly anticipated match, when the Swiss face the great candidate Brazil.
If there are no surprises, both the Spanish and the Swiss should at least have a ticket to advanced stages.
