Did you know that the late former player and coach of the Chilean National Team, Orlando Aravena, was a player on the historic Ñublense squad of 1971?
The remembered “Cabezón” Aravena, as he was affectionately nicknamed, died at the age of 81, after a delicate state of health, added to the Alzheimer’s disease that he suffered some time ago.
Although he will be widely remembered because he was runner-up in America leading the Chilean National Team in 1987 and the La Roja coach who starred in the “Maracanazo” towards the 1990 World Cup in Italy, against Brazil, which cost him a punishment from FIFA that disqualified him. to direct at an international level and for five to direct at a national level, few evoke his time in Ñublense.
In 1971, along with players like the unforgettable goalkeeper Mario “Gato” Osbén and Luis “Bigote” Godoy, he joined the “red devils” team, led by the remembered Pedro Morales, who almost won the title of Second Division champion, after remain undefeated for 18 dates.
That Ñublense lost the title in the final stretch of the tournament, when they lost 1-0 against San Luis in Quillota and the crown was taken from Naval.
The memory of Aravena
“We had a great team. That Ñublense played very well. At home we were strong. The Mercado bar supported us a lot. I was a very physically fit midfielder, going back and forth, that was always my strong suit,” Aravena confessed, in an interview with the person signing this note, for the book “Ñublense: 100 Years of Passion.”
Aravena and his teammates carried out a campaign that excited an entire city that believed that “now” Ñublense would achieve promotion to the First Division after 12 years of searching, after making its professional debut in 1959.
However, an unexpected defeat in Quillota against San Luis and a series of injuries suffered by the team at the farewell of Osvaldo “Pata Bendita” Castro, from Deportes Concepción, diminished the chances of Pedro Morales just when he had to maintain the lead.
Ñublense could not maintain the lead and Naval attacked to snatch the crown and be crowned champion.
Aravena was also linked to the “Maracanazo”, when he led La Roja in the match where Cóndor Rojas faked a cut on his eyebrow, for which he was disqualified from football for life, and which led to La Roja’s exclusion from the World Cup. which was developed in 1994, in the United States.
For this reason, when remembering Aravena’s legacy, one who spoke out was Fernando Astengo, one of his coaches during those years, and who was present in that duel against Brazil.
Astengo maintained that the “Maracanazo” was a “black stain” on the career of the late technical director. And he attacked the Condor because of his actions. “He had no responsibility, I can assure you. He had nothing to do with it. It was an idea from a psychopath who appeared in Don Orlando’s life and cut short the career of both him and me, but Don Orlando had a spectacular career. Four goals have never been scored against Brazil,” he concluded.
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