Battle of Santiago

The Battle of Santiago is the name given to a particularly unsavoury and infamous football match during the 1962 World Cup Finals. It was a game played between hosts Chile and Italy on June 2, 1962 in Santiago.cite web | title=The Knowledge (November 6 2003) | work=Guardian Online (UK) | url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/news/theknowledge/0,,1079146,00.html | accessdate=2006-06-26] The referee was Ken Aston who later went on to invent yellow and red cards. [ [http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/developing/refereeing/news/newsid=80623.html FIFA.com - Ken Aston – the inventor of yellow and red cards ] ]

In this Group 2 clash, already heightened tensions between the two football teams were exacerbated by the description of Santiago in crude terms by two Italian journalists. Chile's organization and preparation of the tournament had suffered through poor infrastructure, a problem made worse by the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960. Italian articles were edited and distorted by local newspapers to inflame the Chilean population. The distorted versions are still quoted on the web [http://www.todoslosmundiales.com.ar/mundiales/1962chile/historias/0017chilevsitalia.htm] . The journalists, Antonio Ghirelli and Corrado Pizzinelli, had to leave the country before the World Cup fearing for their own safety: a few days before the match an Argentinian journalist, mistaken for an Italian, was beaten up in a bar in Santiago [http://www.ultimathule.it/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=153] .

The first foul occurred within 12 seconds of the kick-off. Italy's Giorgio Ferrini was sent off in the twelfth minute after a foul on Honorino Landa, but refused to leave the pitch and had to be dragged off by policemen. Landa retaliated with another foul few minutes later, but he was not sent off.

English referee Ken Aston overlooked a punch by Chilean Leonel Sanchez to Italian Mario David. When David kicked Sanchez in the head a few minutes later, he was sent off.

In the violence that continued, Sanchez then broke Humberto Maschio's nose with a left hook. The two teams engaged in scuffles and spitting, and police had to intervene three more times. Chile won the match 2-0 (74' Ramírez; 88' Toro), eleven men against nine.

tatistics

Estadio Nacional, Santiago de Chile, June 2, 1962Attendance: 66 057 spectators Referee: Ken Aston (England) flagicon|England Assistant Referee: Leo Goldstein (USA) flagicon|USA Assistant Referee: Fernando Buergo Elcuaz (Mexico) flagicon|Mexico

Scorers:
"Chile:" 2: 73' Jaime Ramirez 1-0, 87' Jorge Toro 2-0
"Italy:" 0:

Chile:1- Misael Escuti (Colo-Colo) - 2- Luis Eyzaguirre (Universidad de Chile), 3- Raul Sanchez (Santiago Wanderers), 4- Sergio Navarro (c) (Universidad de Chile), 5- Carlos Contreras (Universidad de Chile), 6- Eladio Rojas (Everton de Viña del Mar), 7- Jaime Ramirez (Universidad de Chile), 8- Jorge Toro (Colo-Colo), 9- Honorino Landa (Union Española), 10- Alberto Fouilloux (Universidad Catolica), 11- Leonel Sanchez (Universidad de Chile) Coach: Ferndando Riera.

Italy:12- Carlo Mattrel (Palermo), 4- Sandro Salvadore (A.C. Milan), 7- Bruno Mora (c) (Juventus), 8- Humberto Maschio (Atalanta), 9- Jose Altafini (Milan), 11- Giampaolo Menichelli (A.S. Roma), 16- Enzo Robotti (Fiorentina), 18- Mario David (A.C. Milan), 19- Francesco Janich (Bologna), 20- Paride Tumburus (Bologna), 21- Giorgio Ferrini (Torino). Coach: Paolo Mazza

References

ee also

*Battle of Berne
*Battle of Bordeaux
*Battle of Bramall Lane
*Battle of Nuremberg
*Football War

External links

*http://www.ultimathule.it/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=153 (in Italian)
*http://www.todoslosmundiales.com.ar/mundiales/1962chile/historias/0017chilevsitalia.htm (in Spanish)

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