The great goal from Juan Ramón Verón from Chile in the monumental click that ensured victory and classification
December 19, 1967 went down not only in the history of Estudiantes, but also in that of Argentine football. That day, the team led by Osvaldo Zubeldía defeated Racing 3-0 in the final of the Metropolitan Tournament in a match at “El Gasómetro” in San Lorenzo, breaking the hegemony of the so-called “Big Five” of Argentine football.
In a turbulent political environment in the country, the old San Lorenzo Field, which for many years was one of the largest stadiums in Argentina and was regularly used by the national team and had a maximum capacity of about 80,000 spectators, welcomed the thousands of fans who traveled from Avellaneda and La Plata.
The December day had a pleasant temperature of around 25 degrees and the game was played in the afternoon/evening. The two finalists came to the game in very different situations, which was to influence the development of the game: the “Academy”, led by Juan José Pizzuti, was the sensational team, they had just won the Copa Libertadores de América and had become Intercontinental champions weeks earlier after defeating Celtic of Scotland, with the legendary left foot of Chango Cárdenas, 1-0 in the Centenario state.
The team was physically and mentally exhausted and focused on maximum glory. World-famous personalities such as Roberto Perfumo, Agustín Cejas, Alfio Basile, Humberto Maschio and Juan Carlos Cárdenas were represented.
The Pincha, led by the innovative Osvaldo Zubeldía, focused exclusively on the Metropolitano. The team was characterized by tactical discipline, scientific preparation (with extensive concentration and video analysis) and mastery of the offside (advanced position), revolutionary concepts for the time. His ambition was fame and the hunger for his first title was great.
Their formation featured Carlos Salvador Bilardo, Raúl Madero, Marcos Conigliaro and Juan Ramón Verón, among others, and they had Alberto Poletti as their goalkeeper. There were years of work in the youth team that began to bear fruit that afternoon.
The game started evenly, but in the 32nd minute, during a sharp attack by Estudiantes, Alfio Basile committed a foul on Felipe Ribaudo in the penalty area, referee Guillermo Nimo sanctioned the penalty and Juan Ramón Verón took over and opened the scoring.
Shortly before half-time, in the 45th minute, defender Raúl Madero took advantage of a quick attack from Estudiantes, a cross and a rebound in the Racing area and scored the second goal.
The La Plata team’s lead was consolidated by the goal of another defender, Néstor Togneri, who took advantage of a precisely executed corner kick and scored a header that overcame the resistance of Agustín Cejas. It was 24 minutes into the second half and the long celebration of the Pincharrata team began, which flooded the streets of the city of La Plata in endless cheers after winning their first professional title.
Estudiantes’ victory over Racing at the Metropolitano in 1967 was an event that the press analyzed not only as a sporting result, but also as a cultural and tactical milestone that redefined Argentine football, as it marked the break of a hegemony of the “big five” (Boca, River, Independiente, Racing and San Lorenzo), which was interpreted as the “beginning of democratization” of Argentine football.
The triumph of tactics over virtuosity was highlighted as the Zubeldía method received widespread recognition, praising the rival’s planning, discipline and careful study, elements considered “scientific” and revolutionary at the time.
However, his style also caused controversy as it was classified as “anti-football”, as the press condemned Estudiantes’ emphasis on physical play, constant pressure and masterful use of the offside trap (striker position), viewing this as a low-profile method and in contrast to traditional “artificial football”.
Estudiantes’ effectiveness has been compared to the racing game, known for its offensive and virtuosic style. It was a paradigm shift that took years to understand. Even today, some protagonists still make statements that are several decades behind the rival’s claims. From that afternoon began a rivalry between the two institutions that would have an even hotter chapter months later, taking them directly on different paths. Today they are no longer so institutional, but they still had the label that separated them, as if the Berlin Wall was in the middle.
The second blow in five months from a puncture to the race
In April 1968 they played the semi-final of the Copa Libertadores. On the one hand, a team that defended the title, on the other hand, one that had come very far in its first experience. In the first leg, the Academy won 2-0, but a week later Zubeldía’s team defeated them 3-0, with two goals from the great figure: Verón. They had to play a tiebreaker in the Monumental. A draw in the 90 minutes, extended and in the first half a great goal from the Chilean witch who traveled around the world. In the end, Racing was tied, but at that point there were no penalties and Estudiantes qualified on better margin. Four were expelled and eventually imprisoned in police station 32 of the federal capital on the orders of the de facto president Juan Carlos Onganía (as a result of a series of events at sporting events): Togneri and Aguirre Suárez on the albirrojo side and Coco Basile and Aballay on the academic side. After the game, the players met again at the section door. From this point on, the difference became insurmountable.
The double defeat against Estudiantes marked the end of Racing’s local dominance and the start of a golden cycle for a team of youth players who, as they say in La Plata, “broke the hegemony of the powerful”.
In conclusion, the Estudiantes victory was a cultural event that brought the values of Argentine football into conversation and legitimized a new model based on strategy, professionalism and discipline.
The day after tomorrow, Racing and Estudiantes will meet again in a final, this time for the Clausura tournament, and the game will once again draw a thick dividing line between two institutions that are currently going through a moment of strength.
In April 1968 four players were arrested after a cup game
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