Reliving A 2-2 Draw That We Can Celebrate

Earlier this year, back in July, we celebrated the 35th anniversary of Newell's Old Boys' first ever championship. In 1974, the Campeonato Metropolitano was split into two groups, the top two teams from each group then entered a final 4 team tournament to crown a champion. Topping group A was Rosario Central, while group B was won by Newell's. Boca Jrs and Huracán joined them as the second place finishers, Boca having won a one game playoff against Ferro Carril Oeste, both teams finishing joint second in group B with 23 points.

In the end, Newell's won the tournament, our final game against Rosario Central may well have been the most important clásico. During this final match, much like the clásico last Sunday, Central took a 2-0 win, only to have Newell's fight back an claim a 2-2 draw. The difference is, the 2-2 draw in 1974 earned a championship, much easier to celebrat than Sunday's, which knocked Newell's two points off the top of the table, and allowed Colón de Santa Fe, Newell's next oppenents, to gain ground with 31 points to Newell's 33.

Here in the United States, where I live, it's Thanksgiving day, and so I give thanks to the team of 1974, and to Roberto Benedetto, who found and posted one of the following videos on his Facebook account. It's a half hour documentary featuring interviews from some of the players from 1974, including captain Mario Zanabria, and "El Mono" Alfredo Obberti, as well as Roberto himself, as a fan of the team, and a current part of the clubs administration.