On an unforgettable afternoon in 1938, Luis María Rongo entered from the stands and scored three goals that gave River the victory against Racing.
He August 7, 1938 Argentine football experienced an unusual event: in a match between Racing and River, a player who was sitting in the stalls became the great figure. Without prior notice, Luis María Rongo He went from spectator to hero on the field, scoring a hat trick that gave the Millonarios the victory.
The coach of the Núñez team, Emerico Hirschlwas in charge of calling a player out of the starting eleven. This bet managed to change the course of the match and became one of the most curious stories in this sport.
What happened in the 1938 River Racing classic
On August 7, 1938, Racing and River faced each other on date 15 of the Argentine First Division Tournament. Even though the Millonario team was in the middle of fighting for the championship, the actions of the match did not predict an interesting day. The Academy dominated the first half and went into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
However, what happened at that break would completely change the course of the game. River’s technical director, the Hungarian Emerico Hirschlvisibly upset by his team’s performance, decided to make a radical decision. Through the stadium speakers, he called a player who had not been included in the starting 11: Luis María Rongo. The footballer, who until then had only watched the game from the stands, entered the field of play in the second half.
The coach’s decision turned out to be the key to the comeback. In a surprising performance, the forward scored three goals in the second halfbecoming the person most responsible for River’s 3-2 victory. In this way, a player who until then was a simple spectator became the hero of the afternoon.
Rongo’s numbers
Luis María Rongo’s impact was not limited only to that historic match. On the next two dates, The footballer continued to demonstrate his scoring ability. in the party against Huracán, River beat 5-1 and Rongo scored another hat trick. On the following day, against Vélez, he scored three goals again.
This unexpected start to the season allowed Rongo to climb positions in the scoring table, ending that season with a total of 33 goalsonly surpassed by Arsenio Erico. With a average of 1.21 goals per gamethe forward became the player with the best goal average in the history of River Plate, scoring 58 goals in just 48 games.
Despite his short but brilliant stage at Millonario, the footballer did not achieve the notoriety that his performance deserved. After five years at the institution, he moved to Argentinos Juniors and his numbers continued to be a testament to his scoring ability.
Source: Ambito
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