Football has a very different capacity than many other activities. Its popularity has the enormous sufficiency of making visible things and geographical places that exponentially distinguish it from other phenomena.
So too they understood it in Juan Fernández, the archipelago located more than 600 kilometers away west of the continent. The authorities insisted before the Chilean federation to organize a duel of the Chile Cup and that’s how they achieved it.
“For us it is not an ordinary game. We are the second smallest commune of the 345 in the country. And, in the last 12 years, we have been characterized by pure negative events. The sunami, the accident of the plane where Felipe Cubillos and Felipe Camiroaga were coming… For us this is an opportunity to highlight our commune as a sustainable one, the fishing issue, tourism…”, he said in the run-up to the transcendental duel Pablo Manríquez, mayor of the archipelago.
This is how it was stated in the duel against Santiago Wanderers at the start of the Chile Cup, when The modest island team faced the Caturros in a match that stopped time between the inhabitants of the Robinson Crusoe island and its surroundings, with a close victory for the professionals who play in the First B.
The local cast gave the Buenos Aires professionals a hard job. A team made up of fishermen, teachers, public officials and even students; stood without fear or reservation under the direction of the experienced coach Jorge Garcés, who arrived two months ago to the archipelago to lead the handful of brave men.
In an idyllic place, next to the immensity of the Pacific Ocean as a silent witness, in a small bay framed between the hills. That was the place chosen, the island court to write this new chapter in the most democratic and transversal competition in Chilean football.
In terms of football, Wanderers could not harm the group of amateur footballers who showed no complexes against the Buenos Aires teamthe same one who had to travel a day and a half from the continent on the Chilean Navy ship Hércules to fulfill the match.
The minutes passed and the Caturros could not impose their hierarchy on the modest island team. John Valladares tried it after 2 minutes, but his shot went over the goal. There was also action on the other side, but neither the student Iuliano Galassi nor the former player trained at UC Osvaldo Salas could defeat the experienced goalkeeper Fernando Hurtado.
The Valparaíso team tilted the field against the goal of local goalkeeper Héctor Melo, 40 years old. At that point, the great figure of the duel was the councilor and teacher. He provided security and thwarted the intentions of Carlos Muñoz, Valladares and Diego Opazo.
In the second half, Melo established himself as the most important. He had a couple of marvelous blocks that had the professional team on edge.
But Wanderers managed to open the account with a certain dose of controversy. When Opazo crossed, the ball had clearly gone out, but the ball arrived precisely at the head of Cristóbal Ponce, who scored 1-0, at 70′.
The historic moment of the match occurred on the next play. Referee Nicolás Millas awarded a clear penalty in the Caturra area, after Araya pushed Galassi. Thus, Osvaldo Salas unleashed euphoria on the small island in the middle of the Pacific. With a lot of classthe former Cobresol player from Peru tricked Hurtado and scored 1-1, at 74 minutes.
Only at the end of the duel, at 86 minutes, Joaquín Pereyra was able to unbalance the match after scoring 2-1 for Wanderers who will now face Con Con in the Chile Cup. A true feat for the humble island team that thrilled all of Chile after giving an example of intensity and courage.
“Nature has wanted to take us down many times. Our families have been here for more than 100 years, we have a wonderful culture. We fought hard, I leave with a broken heart, We played against a professional team in a great way. Win the sport and win the island. “This speaks of playing for the love of the ball,” Melo said after the duel, the great figure.
