Argentine Soccer Player Day: why is it commemorated on this date?

A day like today, but 37 years ago, the most brilliant goal in the history of the World Cups and was in charge of Diego Armando Maradona. That’s why the Argentine Football Association (AFA) with a palpable sense of justice, decided that the June 22nd be the “Day of the Argentine Soccer Player”.

The AFA made that decision in August 2020 and, ironically, 3 months later, Maradona it would pass into eternity, on November 25, next to that monumental work.

Actually, there was already a Day of the Argentine Soccer Player which was celebrated on May 14, in honor of another goal, that of Ernest Grillo to the English, registered in 1953when Argentina defeated the visitors 3-1. Touted as “the impossible goal”the filming of the time revealed that it was actually a skilful maneuver by the striker, who from the left threatened the goalkeeper ditchburnto define at half height.

at the behest of Argentine Soccer Players Association (FAA)this modification was decided, in favor of what happened on June 22, 1986 in the Azteca Stadium, of the Federal District of Mexicowhen the team Carlos Bilardo pitted Englandfor the quarterfinals of a world that Argentina I would end up winning.

That day, Maradona converted the 2 goals of the Selectionto total 5 in that world (other 2 to Belgiumplus 1 to Italy). The one in question, according to a survey carried out by the FIFA in 2002, he was voted the best of all World Cupsby more than 340 thousand people from 150 countries.

In that second time Maradona turned “The Goal of the Century” barely 4 minutes after scoring the most controversial in history, the one remembered as “The Hand of D10s”when Diego he advanced to the goalkeeper’s exit peter shiltontouching the ball with his left fist.

After receiving the pass Hector Enrique“Pelusa” eluded half minus one of the rival team: Glenn Hoddle, Peter Reid, Terry Butcher twice, terry fenwick and to his own peter shilton. He accompanied him all the time on the tour Jorge Valdanoas a possible receiver of the pass, something that Maradona He said he had noticed in the middle of the rival legs that they were looking to intercept him.

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The goal would seem like an incunabula, but strictly speaking it had a first version. In 1980, six years before the World Cup in Mexico, Maradona made a very similar play in a friendly match against England in Wembley, but this time he tried to define the far post. In a report he assured that, on this second opportunity, he remembered his brother’s advice Hugofrom trying to elude the goalkeeper, something he finally did.

Maradona it took him just over 10 seconds to execute his work of art, in which he covered 52 meters, starting from behind the midfield, under a temperature that exceeded 30 degrees, before the gaze of 114,580 spectators, and in Argentina it was 16:09.

Such a move was further embellished by the report of the journalist Victor Hugo Moraleswho patented forever the “cosmic kite” with which he defined the footballer, who at that precise moment went back towards the myth to never return.

Maradona’s post on the networks:

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“Few know it. Today is Footballer’s Day in Argentina. Not only because of your goal, no. It is also in honor of a group of brave people who came out to show their faces throughout a country, just four years after a war that should never have been. It wasn’t just another game, it wasn’t for points. The honor is yours, the pride is ours”is the text that appears in the account of instagram of Maradonamore than 8.3 million followers and run by their children.

The publication has four photos of that June 22, 1986, the day on which Diego (“Cosmic Kite, what planet did you come from?”) scored the spectacular second goal that with Víctor Hugo Morales’ story became even more epic.