I must assume that by this point, all the living forces of Guayaquil will be gathered looking for a prestigious sculptor. I want to believe it because in the hallucinating night against River Plate, that young man Carlos Luis Morales more than earned the right to the statue.
Flying towards one pole, towards the other, to the angles, Morales entered like a ray into the history of Ecuadorian football, to which he undoubtedly gave the most beautiful joy of its existence.
Because without taking away any merit from the other ten gladiators of Barcelona, what the goalkeeper did reached spectacular levels. River had the draw in its sights no less than eight or ten times, like someone holding a steaming complete hamburger in their hands, and just when they were about to take the hungry bite, it vanished thanks to Morales, who ended up lowering their morale.
- Carlos Luis Morales almost debuted in Emelec in 1982, before doing so in Barcelona SC
Involved in the game, confident in his hands. Athletic, with great reflexes, Morales became the villain of the movie that was broadcasted to the fans of River Plate on Wednesday night.
And because those who are young today will tell it to their grandchildren in many years' time, he deserves the bronze. And if it's not a statue, then let September 12th be declared as the day of the goalkeeper in Ecuador. Or maybe the name of a street.
Popular Characters
I've always wondered why the streets and avenues are not named after those popular characters who made people happy. Why not a Gabriela Sabatini street, another Diego Maradona...? It is said that this is not done in the name of seriousness, and then I wonder: is it serious for the streets to bear the names of military and politicians of dubious honesty, of those who wrote the history for themselves, those who distributed the cake of wealth as they pleased, leaving only the crumbs of the feast for the majority...?
I dream of one day driving my car along Ricardo Bochini Avenue, a person who has been giving smiles to thousands of Argentines for eighteen years. I haven't lost hope. In the meantime, I must travel, for example, along Bernardino Rivadavia street, the pioneer in that sad profession of betraying the country, who signed a loan with the Baring Brothers, from London. The money never reached the pampa húmeda, but returning what they never gave us took 90 years of punctual payments. I also hope to go to Guayaquil one day and walk along Carlos Morales' highway, the man who gave a week of happiness to an entire country.
WHAT WAS SEEN IN BUENOS AIRES
It wouldn't be serious to make an analysis of a match that we watched on television because if there's something essential about a football match that TV is unable to transmit, it's the atmosphere that prevails in the stadium, on the field, something that can only be felt by being there.
River arrived in Buenos Aires making a series of complaints about mistreatment, bad refereeing, and even an alleged bribe to the Peruvian Carlos Montalbán (the referee), as well as irregularities as seen from particular angles of the field and projectiles thrown from the stands.
- Miguel Ángel Brindisi on the death of Carlos Luis Morales: I am deeply hurt; he was a winner with a lot of personality and leadership
All accusations that are difficult to prove and that were not reflected through television. It must be said - with honesty - that the penalty that meant Barcelona's victory did not exist. Perhaps there was a previous play by Jorge Higuaín against the Uruguayan Luis Alberto Acosta that was.
Protesting the Game
And that after a shameful gathering of the 22 players, the referee did not expel any of them. Besides that, each one played their own game and the one who took better advantage of their moment won. River Plate had six or seven clear chances to score in the second half. If they didn't do it, it wasn't because "the conditions weren't right," but because they didn't know how or couldn't. But talking about protesting the game seems completely out of place.
I prefer to focus on the other aspect, the celebration that the victory of Barcelona Sporting Club surely unleashed, a historic pass to the final of the long-awaited Copa Libertadores.
The Astillero team had a reputation for being a big club in Ecuador, but now it has shown that it's a big club in America. (O)
Note:
This column by Jorge Barraza was published by Diario El Universo on Sunday, September 16, 1990, after the match Barcelona 1 - River Plate 0, at the Monumental Stadium, which gave Barcelona its first pass to the Copa Libertadores final. Carlos Luis Morales cherished it as one of his best memories of football. Later, Barraza dedicated another column to him when Pestañita played for Independiente in Argentina, and in the balance of the Copa América Uruguay 1995, the journalist included him in the ideal team of the tournament. This was his choice for that tournament: Carlos Morales (Ecuador); Javier Zanetti (Argentina), Alexi Lalas (United States), Carlos Gamarra (Paraguay), Roberto Carlos (Brazil); Gustavo Poyet (Uruguay), Leonel Álvarez (Colombia), Marco Etcheverry (Bolivia), Roberto Palacios (Peru); Abel Balbo (Argentina), Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina).
The original publication from 1990.