Barcelona SC vs. Estudiantes for the Copa Sudamericana and the memory of the mythical feat of the toreadors in La Plata, with a goal blessed by God

La Plata’s feat covers a range of historical facts such as the humiliation suffered by three-time American champions Estudiantes de La Plata, the disdain of Barcelona SC by the Argentinian press, the auction of Juan Manuel Basurko’s father with his god-blessed boots, the legendary radio story Watchtowerthe first victory of the ecuadorian team on argentine soil, an emotional song for little father and a burst of joy in the streets of Guayaquil.

Barcelona SC: This is the voice of Juan Manuel Basurko, the priest behind the exploits of La Plata!

Juan Manuel Basurko, so popular in Barcelona SC that they once returned what was stolen from him

Juan Manuel Basurko: from the goal with Barcelona against Estudiantes, which could not exist, to the hero who spoke little about the feat of La Plata

52 years ago this iconic match between Barcelona SC and Estudiantes de La Plata was played in the Copa Libertadores, but now it will be re-released for the first time in the South American Cup.

La Plata’s feat continues to shake the world

For playoffs of the continental tournament, which brings one of the places in the round of 16, will be this definition. First lap It will be on Tuesday, July 11, starting at 19:00 at the Monumental Banco Pichincha Stadium; and the second leg on the 18th of the same month (19:00 in Ecuador) at the UNO Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium.

Juan Manuel Bazurko and his hit with the “Blaženi pjelen” in La Plata

So far, six clashes have been recorded: four victories for Los Pincharratas and two victories for the Toreadors.

However, it was a match that went down in history in 1971. That year, the Canaries and the Argentines met for the first time at the prestigious Conmebol tournament for Group A of the second phase, in which the winner of this key and B advanced. to play the finals of the tournament.

The football world does not forget the feat of La Plata

‘Cacho’ Malbernat: “We will never forget Bazurko’s goal”

There were huge expectations in Guayaquil and the country, as Estudiantes arrived at this stage as the title favorites to win the FIFA Club Cup.

Disdain for the albiceleste press

In the first commitment, rat spike They arrived in the city of Buenos Aires and took 3 points on April 18 with a goal by Argentine striker Juan Miguel Echecopar Di Santo, at the Modelo Stadium (now Alberto Spencer).

The Albiceleste press disparaged the idol. sports magazine Graphics he announced: “Barcelona is a third-rate team, in which the master (Alberto) Spencer is playing the last stop of his great scoring career.”

“(Students welcomed the match) with the safety and cheerfulness of a team that knows what it wants. Who knows that in such confrontations you don’t win too much, even if the opponent is from the third category (…) I know that Barcelona is a team of the third category, but the match was there, in Guayaquil, with Guayaquil standing at 35 degrees Guayaquil”, added the legendary medium.

and a diary Day de La Plata said: “The Ecuadorians believe in achieving what for most of the world seems like some kind of football miracle: taking the points 57 and 1. Of course, the aspiration sounds too much for their capabilities, since – objectively speaking – they form a team with a small potential, barely discreet technique and numerous and important flaws. Outside of their own country, we honestly don’t see them as a risky opponent for any team with pretensions, much less a team with the training and international experience of Estudiantes. Today, predictions show that Estudiantes would should have won with great ease”.

A blow to student pride

With these sour comments, the yellow company led by the Brazilian Otto Vieira, who found himself in goal with Jorge Phoyú, arrived in Argentina; Walter Cárdenas, Vicente Lecaro, Édison Saldivia, Luciano Macías, at the back; Pepe Paez, Jorge Bolanos; Miguel Ángel Coronel, in midfield; and Juan Basurko, Alberto Spencer and Washington Muñoz, in attack.

They faced an eleven stopped by the legendary Juninense coach Osvaldo Zubeldia consisting of Flores; Paganini, Aguirre, Spadaro, Mejía; Echecopar, Tgoneri, Pachamé, Verde; Begnoni and the witch Verón.

After a difficult game, in the 72nd minute playmaker Jorge Child Bolaños got into quick action and sent a cross to Spencer, who headed the ball away for Juan Manuel Basurko to get into the small area and finish before goalkeeper Rubén came out Bambi Flores, silencing La Plata Stadium.

blessed boots

The five Ecuadorian journalists who followed this match were King of the Quarry Pablo Aníbal Vela and Jacinto Landázuri on the radio mambo; Manuel Kun, for the evening Reason; and, Ecuador Martínez Collazo and Arístides Castro, for Watchtowerthey were the ones who immortalized the phrase “Blessed are the boots of Pater Basurka”.

The gaucho press describes it as a feat

The first to assign the adjective feat to the unexpected result were the Argentine journalists themselves. Newspapers from Buenos Aires Reason, in his sports column on April 30, 1971, under the title ‘Great euphoria in the Ecuadorian dressing room and despondency from La Plata’, alongside a photo of his remembered colleague and friend Arístides Castro interviewing Basurko, states: “Overwhelming euphoria presented the Barcelona dressing room at the end of the match. And it was no less, they achieved a real sporting feat not only by beating Estudiantes, but also by taking away their undefeated status on their own field.”

The importance of the feat of La Plata is still so great that April 18, 2022 Time, from Bogotá, published a wonderful report entitled ‘The incredible football priest who performed a miracle in the Copa Libertadores’. Is there another goal in that football event that, after more than half a century, is remembered with veneration, delight and admiration, as Basurko deserves even today, the priest who connected the pulpit and the stadium? If someone had warned Gabriel García Márquez about the problem, he would surely have written an article, a report or an essay, because Basurko’s story is and will remain a chapter of football magical realism.

what he said little father

“We went as victims and stood up for it, all of us, even Spencer and I. They even attacked with defenders, and sometimes there were large spaces for counterattacks. I think they were 27 minutes into the second half; Our goalkeeper shoots from a distance, Spencer touches him upside down and I’m left alone with him. Bambi Flores, who was the goalkeeper. He Bambi He tempts me by inviting me to kick him in one direction, and I had the coolness to throw him in the other,” commented Basurko after the duel.

burst of joy

While the Canaries celebrated in the dressing room of the La Plata stadium, people took to the streets of Buenos Aires on foot, on bicycles and even in cars to celebrate this wonderful victory over Estudiantes.

song for little father

(D)