Rosario Central’s epic comeback against Atlético Mineiro that invites River fans to dream

After the defeat suffered by his team on Tuesday at the Arena do Galo stadium in Belo Horizonte, the fans of River Everything helps to cement the hope of overcoming the 3-0 defeat suffered Atletico Mineiro in the first leg of one of the semi-finals of Copa Libertadores: cabals, promises, signs, metamessages or heroic memories are valid for this moment. In that search they may find the precedent of a head-to-head series in which the Brazilian team squandered an even bigger lead and ended up defeated on Argentine soil.

That historic return occurred almost three decades ago, in the final of the 1995 edition of the Extinguished Conmebol Cupand the protagonist of the enterprise was Rosario Central. So, the Rascal It became the first Argentine team to win that precursor competition to the Copa Sudamerica, organized by the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) between 1992 and 1999, and which Lanús (1996) and Talleres de Córdoba (1999) would later also win.

That year, the group led by Angelo Tulio Zof had marched in the first three rounds of the tournament and had emerged victorious in the six matches eliminating Defensor Sporting of Uruguay in the round of 16, Cobreloa of Chile in the quarterfinals and Atlético Colegiales of Paraguay in the semi-finals. Atlético Mineiro had easily eliminated Guarani de Campinas in the round of 16 and Mineros de Guayana in the quarter-finals, but had to resort to penalties to beat América de Cali in the semi-finals.

A tight final was expected, with two equal duels, but the panorama was very different. In the first leg, on 12 December 1995, under a downpour at the Mineirão, Atlético struck from the start in the first half, with a header from Ezio, following a cross from Leandro, and took full advantage in the second half. Defensive errors by Central and extension of the lead thanks to goals from Cairo, Paulo Robero and Silva.

The lapidary 4 to 0 seemed to have closed the series in favor of the cast directed by Procópio Cardoso. But Central’s players still believed it. “As soon as we arrived at the hotel in Belo Horizonte, we met in (Omar) Palma’s room. We talked a lot, we made up emotionally and we swore to leave everything to make a change in the situation. “We convinced ourselves that nothing was defined,” he revealed a week later. Orazio Carbonarithe hero in revenge.

After such a defeat, Central’s leaders feared that the public would not join them in their revenge. Having a good income to cover a large part of the 200,000 dollars prize that they had agreed with the team to reach the final, they put the tickets on sale at a reduced price, between 5 and 15 pesos. The seats flew and on the night of December 19th more than 40,000 people, armed with unfailing enthusiasm, packed the Gigante de Arroyito.

The miracle that not many believed in began to become tangible in the first half in which the local team overwhelmed an opponent who did nothing but defend himself brutally. In the 22nd minute, the Uruguayan Rubén Da Silva, after a good play by Diego Ordoñez and a cross by Martín Cardetti, scored the 1-0. Fifteen minutes later, Carbonari scored the 2-0 with a powerful free kick that broke the resistance of goalkeeper Taffarel. to 0. And in the 40th minute Cardetti, with a precise assist from Da Silva, made it 3 to 0. There is still some time left and many are already believing in the feat.

But in the complement the Brazilians managed to manage the ball a little more and also generated some risky chances. Thus they found peace again, while Central fell into a tangle of nerves. However, with just two minutes remaining, the legendary Palma sent a cross from the left and Carbonari, now transformed into a centre-forward, scored the fourth goal with a diving header. «When I went to look for the center, I kept repeating to myself: ‘Now yes, now yes’. Then I saw the ball inside and I found it hard to believe it,” the defender then said.

The goal of Ball He sent the definition of penalties. Over there, Doriva and Leandro missed the first two for Atlético Mineiro. Even though Taffaril stopped Cristian Colusso’s shot, Central went into the final shot of the series with a chance to win. And Da Silva wasn’t wrong. Thus, Rosario’s team overcame a four-goal deficit, something that had never happened in a case of direct elimination of a Conmebol tournament (and which would never happen again), and won the title. He did it on December 19, the same day in which, 24 years earlier, he had beaten Newell’s 1-0 at the Monumental with Aldo Pedro Poy’s unforgettable pigeon in one of the semi-finals of the National Championship which he would later win. .

The same fans who before the match declared themselves convinced of the utopian victory, witnessed the overflowing mass celebration inside the pitch in a catatonic state of absolute perplexity, repeating: ‘It was a miracle, I can’t believe it’. ” writes Roberto Fontanarrosa two days after the victory of the team he loves in an article published in Clarín. With a miracle similar to the one experienced then Black River fans are currently dreaming of overcoming the slope next Tuesday against Atlético Mineiro.