Forty years in the desert sky 
M y first memory of selection is the semifinal against Brazil in Mexico '70. When Uruguay opened the score in that match, the neighbors broke into my house screaming. I remember them laughing, ecstatic, hugging my parents. I was six years old and apparently was headed to Uruguay to be world champion. In the end, we lost 3 to 1.
Also I have in mind the match for third place against Germany, ten times that Uruguay was about to make a goal and the final defeat by 1 to 0. This time the neighbors came and there was no party to celebrate we went out rooms. Even players reneged selection of achievements: "We were so, if not champions went out did not mean anything," said Ildo Maneiro many years later (1). That honor was taken fourth place with a humiliating defeat.
For Germany 74 the all or nothing mentality was still in force. And I, who was ten, I'm thrilled with everything. If the much-criticized selection Mexico 70 had managed to get fourth, it would not be so hard to be champion. Now, in addition, we had to Fernando Morena.
At that age I did not know the details. The TD was the World Cup qualifier Uruguay, Hugo Bagnulo, had been changed by another, Ricardo Porta, widely promoted by a group of journalists. The selection had also been radically modified under pressure from the same sportswriters.
I know all those ins and outs, and sat looking forward compared to black and white TV. The Netherlands Dance gave us was a terrible blow. If it were not for Mazurkiewicz 2-0 that would have been a catastrophic landslide.
The second match, against Bulgaria, I saw what Igal, a classmate, as I Peñarol. Alucinábamos expecting a goal from Brown. He did, but the judge overturned. Tied 1 to 1. The third game saw him again at home. Sweden, we conceded a terrible 3-0 and global chau.
The disappointment was great. Years later read the following statements John Masnik, a member of that choice: "One month on the campus was shattered world. The new team did the journalists. Entered a total confusion on one side and the other a boundless confidence. We performed an operation returning players without rhyme or reason (...) I stayed in a graft made of rush defense (...) How could perform, how could we understand? If almost no practice together! (...) A Morena, playing up, he went something like "(2).
The consolation was knowing we would have revenge in the next World Cup to be played in Argentina, where we would be almost local. It was then, was 14 years, when I had to discover that there was anything worse than being eliminated in the first phase of a World Cup. Because we classify even though we had a quota dispute with Bolivia and Venezuela, which in those years was much weaker than today. The key was in the game in Caracas, I heard disconsolate on a transistor radio, we just draw, Bolivia won instead. Before the failure, the most listened journalist, Victor Hugo Morales, unleashed a campaign against my admired disproportionate Morena, take responsibility for any failure, as if he played himself.
At that time I was just a kid and did not understand that the ferocity of Morales, his sharp criticism and so furious, was functional to a dictatorship that was forbidden to talk about anything but that. Today yes. This was the circus that he wanted the scheme. Months later, Victor Hugo traveled to Buenos Aires to tell the '78 world and was full of praise for the military who organized the blood-stained glass (3).
of the tie for Spain '82 I remember the match against Peru in the centennial. With only one hour until my mother asked me to go.
We ran and the party to begin. The tickets were sold out and bought a gold price to a reseller. The stadium was packed and only got sit on top of Amsterdam. From there we saw very well the dance team that gave us Velásquez, Chumpitaz, Uribe and Oblitas. We should have won 2 to 0, but missing some Victorino settled a ball with his hand and made the Uruguayan goal, the referee had the courtesy to confirm. Can not say it was the goal of honor. This time, Brown was not to blame. Out of another world.
went back to the Mexico World Cup in '86 with the leadership of Omar Borrás Welcome, the first coach that I hated with all my heart. I was in the Centennial
when we classify, in the decisive match against Chile, when Venancio Ramos someone took a lemon had thrown onto the field and hit the ball when the Chilean Aravena, who beat her with a cannon to shoot a dangerous free kick at the end of the match. If it was a goal, Chile went to the World Cup. The blow from the lemon Aravena moved the ball and missed the shot. Thus we come to Mexico.
We had no bad picture-in selection were Francescoli, the Moth Da Silva, Alzamendi, Ruben Paz, Dario Pereira, Venancio and Zalazar, and again came the expectation. The problem was Borrás. On defense, against the wishes of the entire Uruguay, refused to include Dario Pereira, a crack with a capital that succeeded to such an extent that there wanted Brazil nationalized. Instead, he insisted on putting Borrás Eduardo Acevedo. His other infamous was left on the bench with Ruben Paz, talented scorer like few others.
Although the selection had already been more than a decade of failure, I was swelling with passion and Borrás not forgive his stubbornness and neglect.
debut against Germany I saw in Philip. We put the TV with voice and Kesman on the radio. Iban just four minutes when a German defender has missed and the ball went wrong. Alzamendi took it, and got kicked high, with the crossbar. A goal.
Soon after, Francescoli, who was already a super-hyped-headed fixture alone against the German bow, unobstructed view, with the goal almost done. Philip and I stood to celebrate. Just then the TV picture froze: Francescoli with the ball toward the goal. Luckily it was turned on the radio. When the booming voice shouted goooool Kesman, we hugged. Were a few seconds of happiness. But then again the image of the television and the party was 1 to 0, the goal had not been. Enzo had erred and was wrong Kesman, both in an inexplicable way. In the rest of the game, almost did not cross midfield, always defending. Ruben Paz did not leave the bench. Germany drew us five minutes left to go.
In the second game I discovered something important: there was something worse than not participate in the World Cup. Worse was to be there and embarrassment to the entire planet. Denmark became clear when we conceded a historic 6-1. In this game Kesman was pleased to tell Francescoli real goal, thanks to a penalty invented by the judge.
For the third match against Scotland, I could not believe that Acevedo and Borrás keep insisting on not making Ruben Paz. From way downtown by bus, I remember passing by the house technician Punta Gorda and watch with dismay as looking into it a track that would allow me to understand why this man is so merciless. Thereafter, in the second book celestial Luis Prats, I read in those dark days that someone broke into the home of technical and destroyed its library. I swear it was not me.
The clash with the Scots was a celestial milestone: Jose Batista was kicked out at 38 seconds by the French referee Quiniou, due to a kick that hit the midfield. That expulsion gave standing to sports journalists paid their pilgrim thesis that FIFA is a plot against us, an argument that lasts until today. Defending the 89 minutes and 22 seconds left we draw nil-nil and go to the second phase of the world as one of "the best parties." Certainly not deserve it, but there we were, in the second round against Argentina's Maradona.
Borrás, fearful of the opposition and blind to all evidence, kept in a team Acevedo Ruben Paz in the bank. I went on the bus in front of his home and had to restrain myself not to fall and ignite. (I repeat: I did not destroy the library!).
was, without doubt, a true classic. Only in Argentina 41 minutes could make the first and only goal thanks to a remarkable "pass" that made him Argentina's Acevedo Pasculli on the edge of the area. Not exaggerating, you can see on Youtube. Missing the final ten minutes, when it was best not to do so, Borrás faltered, brought Acevedo and for the first time in the Cup brought in Ruben Paz.
see those last ten minutes was the worst of it. Peace piled to the Argentines as posts, dwarfing the figure of Maradona. The draw was falling and did not just lack of time. We were out of another World Cup with the terrible feeling that everything could have been different.
years after the famous Argentine journalist Juvenal wrote, "In the last ten minutes when the coach Omar Borras was resolved to make a great player who remained hidden until then, Ruben Paz, almost comes the night" (4). A classified
Italia '90 by Ruben Sosa a brilliant in the playoffs. We had a cuadrazo even better than Mexico '86: Sosita, now Ruben Paz, again Francescoli, Alzamendi, Pato Aguilera, Sergio Martinez, Fonseca, all members of the jet set world football. Pablo Bengoechea was alternate. On a tour of preparation we tied 3 to 3 against Germany in Stuttgart, in a match which was sent Ruben Pereira turning a double tread on the ball that left the world with their mouths open, and we won 2 to 1 in England in Wembley . All we relied heavily on our new coach, Oscar Tabarez. Now playing the best.
I was already a journalist. Worked at Reuters as a correspondent substitute in Montevideo. I had been entrusted watch the matches in the office and then send the world an office with the repercussions. The popular celebrations, for example.
saw four games in that World Cup Uruguay alone in an apartment on Florida Street, surrounded by teletype. In the debut act dramatically and the English enslaved, but we could not get a goal. We had the great opportunity in a penalty, but Ruben Sosa threw it too high outside. Do not send any cables because there were no celebrations. Hoping intact
I sat down to watch the second match, against Belgium. But we did not play even one tenth of the previous meeting. Youtube recently revived in a scene from that game. We are losing 2 to 0, but the Belgian has played with ten because Gerets expelled. Uruguay attacks. Middle trips to the ball reaches the edge of the area he is served Belgian and Aguilera, who inexplicably kicks a shiver very weak and harmless. The Belgian goalkeeper saves with ease, by hand, gives the ball to a teammate, on the side of the field near his goal yet. The Belgian runs with the ball and elude the first Uruguayan to dial out, then on the run, dodge to another and across the midfield, a third of Uruguay will face, but the Belgian left unattended as a post; finally crosses the ball in the middle, where a big call Ceulemans receives the ball free from any obstacle, runs a few yards without opposition, kicks and scores the third. We lost 3 to 1 thanks to a goal of the honor he then made Bengoechea. Do not send any cable, because there were no celebrations.
I began to doubt that selection to which he had so much support. Were published in the newspaper photos that showed the contractor Paco Casal sitting on the bench for Uruguay. What right? "That was a Uruguayan team assembled for a shed or sell players? Did that have anything to do with the lack of conviction of the team?
The third match against South Korea was terrible and only defined at the last second, with a goal from offside Fonseca. Incredibly, there were celebrations for July 18 because Uruguay had to win this round, and I had to write the much delayed impact cable. I felt it was disgraceful to hold so little.
Unfortunately, the second round I was right: Italy beat us by 2 to 0 but we attacked us once in the whole game without even will cross midfield, one of the most sad and fearful displays any selection in the history of the world.
That's right: when the game ended, the president of Juventus was the dressing room to chat with Paco Uruguay (5).
Later, the Reuters correspondent Holder participated in a collective interview with Tabarez and might ask what happened to that selection of cracks that had started promising a great world and had finished taking off. The technician said that the penalty shoot out against Spain had demolished his players psychologically. Many sports journalists, however, had another view: the selection of Tabarez had failed because it kicks hit, they had forgotten charrúa claw. Had to return to the roots, and if you threw 38 seconds into bad luck.
And the presence of Casal in the bench? I asked a thousand times when I wrote his biography Bengoechea. It had no importance, I always answered. But from there everything went downhill.
The United States does not classify '94 in a playoff marked by the divorce between technical Cubilla and "repatriated" the most famous footballers, who played abroad and was represented by an increasingly powerful Casal.
Qualifier for France in '98 we had three coaches (Hector Nunez, Ahuntchain and Roque Maspoli). The selection finished seventh of nine and over are left out. I treasure in my file two jewels of this period. The first is a picture of Francescoli, coach and two selected Ahuntchain posing in an advertisement for a private cemetery. The other is the front page of a newspaper where the pigeon Nunez DT suffered East, says how much you willing to give the Celeste: "If I have to enlarge the sphincter so that the selection wins, I do" (6).
Unfortunately, it was not enough.
disputed the classification of the 2002 World Cup with a selection outsourced. Much of the salary of the Argentine coach Daniel Passarella was paid by the company Tenfield. The players discussed the awards with Paco and not to the president of the AUF. The subsistence of an official handing Tenfield ended in prison. Two of the few sportswriters who were not working in the pay of the company were forced to get off the charter of the selection. The decline was widespread. Paolo Montero, the captain, said in an interview: "Football is not a sin to steal." Explains why they made it to the playoffs thanks to a fixed tie with Argentina, which was dismissed with applause at the airport (7). In contrast, when Australia was selected to play the game defining Carrasco was received by a mob that spat and hit them. I felt an infinite shame, but Dario Silva, a member of that selection, congratulated the mafia. "They were barbaric," said (8). When outsourced Celeste won 1 to 0 to Australians and finally classified, someone put on the electronic board of the Centennial: "Thanks Paco." World Cup I can not say anything. The parties were in the early morning and chose to stay asleep. In the tie
2006 was all more or less like 2002, only this time the Australians already knew us and locked us out of the Cup I took the news like a zombie football, anesthetized with so much accumulated horror. It is not lost, because all the fans of the world tolerated the defeat. It was much more than that many years of clubs, lies, broken promises, psychological collapse, press operations, champions cheesy, very afraid to lose and corruption increasingly obvious and blatant. That cocktail had left me numb. I wanted to be a fan as before, but could not. Sick of skepticism
acute-and wondering whether it might be chronic and began to see our selection in South Africa 2010. When the game against France I thought again, more of the same.
But the three goals against South Africa and the victory against Mexico eased some celestial emotional paralysis. It had won two straight games, played without fear, with good goals, without hitting kicks and without protest to the judge. It was also clear that the two cracks in this selection, Forlan and Suarez-were playing up to its history and even more so. How old had to wait for that!
The 2 to 1 against the Koreans was special. This time the victory was also a dramatic and sustained until the last second, but no trout as 1990. Smith's second goal also was a truly great goal. Had to pinch yourself, but we were given show. I put the flag on the car.
The game against Ghana was the script that Hollywood needed to make an epic film about soccer. Suffered when Ghanaians dominated the match, I applauded the goal by Forlan, I felt anger when the judge invented the last free throw, admiration for the desperate effort to avoid Smith's second goal and regret because African were going to lose that way, with a penalty unfair in the last second.
was watching the game with my wife and my daughter. My wife did not want to see her and was crying. My daughter is not stayed. While Asamoah Gyan was preparing to finish, she locked herself in her room.
I was just watching TV. The story had disappeared. Since there were no ghosts Borrás, Francescoli, Cubilla, Recoba, Paolo Montero, luckily there was nothing left of them. Paco Nor, perchance away from this selection (now you: thanks Paco). They were just the Ghanaian, the Uruguayan goalkeeper and the world pending the outcome. I realized that in 40 years, had never seen a selection Uruguayan so touching, so aware of its limitations, yet so sacrificed, honest and brave. No one in this period was so honored that this wonderful sport is football. They did not deserve to lose. Stare at the screen and when the ball against the crossbar broke, I jumped, I ran, I shouted, I was wrong! I was wrong!
was cured. The fan was back. Finally. Forlan, Suarez, Egidio, Russian Pérez and others, with Tabarez, I had to get over a load of 40 years.
Thanks. Thank you very much.
What followed, even in defeat, playing big games against the best teams in the world and making great goals, I screamed and shouted again, only made more remarkable the work accomplished.
what they have is a lie repeated a thousand times and still repeated, many sports writers is that only the winners make their mark in history. Ignorant, unaware of Van Gogh, or Wilson or Kennedy Toole. Do not know the history of Artigas. Not even Cruyff's Clockwork Orange.
Life is never black or white, all or nothing.
And that lesson, the most important, they taught these guys.
(1) 70
The Mundialazo , story of journalist Magdalena Herrera,
El País, May 28 2006.
(2)
Juan Masnik, Gold Twisty El Diario, August 30, 1978, quoted in the book
Kings, princes and squires, Volume 2 , Franklin Morales (Ediciones de la Plaza, 2006).
(3) See:
http://leonardohaberkorn.blogspot.com/2010/11/argentina-78-por-victor-hugo-morales.html (4) Juvenal,
Football soul (1997) , quoted by Franklin Morales in
Kings, princes and squires .
(5) The Casal told himself in the hot summer program
in
Carve radio, interviewed by Mario Bardanca in January 1992. Quoted in the book
I Paco, Bardanca itself (Editorial Sudamericana, 2007).
(6)
Republic, March 20, 1995.
(7)
I Paco, Mario Bardanca (Editorial Sudamericana, 2007). About this book, see:
http://leonardohaberkorn.blogspot.com/2007/10/el-sexo-segn-paco-casal-en-una.html
(8)
The Observer, 26 November 2001.
Haberkorn Leonardo
article included in the book Pop
Celeste, publisher of the century. It was also published in the August 2010 edition of the journal
Bla.
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a couple of months ago I passed a shop near the micro neighborhood, Bicycle Workshop "FAITH." Given the dishonesty of nice business owners decided to try his luck in this place and so I met Noah, who already put his hand to the Kona and Merida. In my turn to "faith" we have become buddies, get good parts to price my friend, and also adjusts rilas sell my book. His grandfather, Don Antonio Martinez, was a professional cyclist and then put The first workshop of the family. His father went to the office and opened two more branches in the State of Mexico. Today there are three workshops and Noah continues on the path to the family tradition, he manages in Calzada de las Armas No. 8. I gave a copy of bicycles and their owners, in return he showed me his poems. Reads and writes, is a rocker, bike rack and lives quietly arranging the parts of the motorcycle of the colony on April 10. The other day was to get me some pads for the brakes of route: 
