Mourning for the death of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, the greatest idol of Brazilian soccer and one of the best players in history it spreads all over the world. The departure of “O Rei” generated a deep sadness in all soccer fans and, especially, in Brazil.
Within this framework, there are not a few people from La Plata who will remember the times that Santos de Pelé was in La Plata to face off against Estudiantes and Gimnasia. On neither of the two occasions was the Brazilian star able to take a victory for the city and he did not score goals either.
The Saint of the 1960s was a soccer great and was a true social sports phenomenon. It’s just that that team toured the world and were an attraction for fans every time they set foot on foreign soil. La Plata had the privilege of receiving that team on two occasions and, to the surprise of locals and strangers, it failed to display its colorful and offensive game, known as “the white ballet”.
A chapter of this story was written in the Juan Carmelo Zerillo, in the heart of the Forest. It was within the framework of a friendly that was played in February 1962. Santos had just defeated Racing 8-3 and then had to face off against Gimnasia. The match ended 2-2 but Lobo was superior against a team that won the triple crown that year: the Brazilian League, the Copa Libertadores and the European-South American Cup.
The visiting team had seven players from the Brazilian team that, a few months later, would win the World Cup in Chile: Gilmar, Mauro Ramos, Zito, Mengálvio, Pepe, Coutinho and Pelé.
But the Wolf, led by Enrique Fernandez Violahe had his own and that day he formed with: Carlos Minoian; Pedro Galeano and José Marinovich; Water Davoine, Daniel Bayo and Domingo Lejona; Hugo Carro and Julio Cortés; Eliseo Prado, Diego Bayo and Óscar Gómez Sánchez.
Pelé’s second chapter in La Plata occurred in the old Estudiantes stadium on 1 and 57, on December 4, 1969. It was an official match, valid for the Intercontinental Champions Super Cup, a trophy that brought together the world champion clubs, but which had only two disputes. Despite the fact that the clash was not in Santos’ heyday, neither the Brazilian team nor the star were finished. The white team had just won, in 1968, the tournament in Brazil and also that select competition that brought together the intercontinental champions (in the final they had beaten Inter Milan, in Giuseppe Meazza himself). In addition, Pelé would be key in the 1970 Mexico World Cup (four goals in six games).
Estudiantes, for their part, was no less than Santos and came from giving five Olympic rounds in two years and was the current monarch of the Copa Libertadores. The visitor had as starters five players who six months later, in the green-yellow team, would win the World Cup: Carlos Alberto, Joel, Clodoaldo, Edu and Pelé.
However, despite the size of the rival and the fact that León from La Plata had three important men suspended (Alberto Poletti, Eduardo Manera and Ramón Aguirre Suárez), the formation devised by Osvaldo Zubeldiaprevailed 3 to 1. The Estudiantes lineup that night had Gabriel Flores; Rubén Pagnanini, Hugo Spadaro, Raúl Madero and Oscar Malbernat; Carlos Bilardo, Nestor Togneri and Daniel Romeo; Marcos Conigliaro, Camilo Aguilar and Juan Ramón Verón. It should be clarified that the revenge was not carried out in Brazil, because neither of them had any chance of consecrating themselves.
The big standout that night was La Bruja, who scored two of the goals for her team. The rest was signed by Conigliaro.
