80 years ago, with mini matches and an unusual tiebreaker

Platense will play the third final in its history. The first after 80 years when he competed, and lost, against Huracán the Escobar Cupa competition that Argentine Football Association (AFA) organized six times between 1939 and 1949 and had an official status. The baptism in the fight for a title had been in 1918, when he lost against Independent the so-called Honor Cup.

But regarding his last chance, the name of the Cup did not have to do with the Northern Buenos Aires Party, but with who was president of the AFA the year it was put into play: Adrián César Escobar. But it was not its name that made it particular, because it had characteristics that were never reissued.

It was something like a lightning tournament that was played in just one weekend and the champion could play two or three games on the same day. And the rarities do not end in those details. To celebrate these cups, the AFA hired English referees.

The form of dispute was a heptagonal. The first seven teams in the standings of the official First Division tournament qualified and reached the final through a direct elimination system. The champion entered the competition directly in the semi-final.

The matches were extremely short in duration. In its first edition, they lasted 20 minutes in the quarterfinals and semifinals, but reached half an hour in the final. In the following two times of 20 were stipulated for all instances. In case of equality, two extra times of 10 minutes each were added. If differences were not made either, penalties? Nothing of that: The team that had scored the most corner kicks qualified for the next phase..

That’s why the fans celebrated like a goal every time their team had a corner kick in their favor. The first edition, in 1939, was played entirely on River’s field and on that occasion Independiente and San Lorenzo competed in the final. They tied without goals in both regular and extra time. As they had equaled the number of corners 1 to 1, the definition was the following year with a new match that Rojo won 2 to 0.

In retaliation on August 15, 1940, Independiente appeared without several of its most important players, but still won in the presence of the then president of the Nation Roberto Ortíz. With that victory, the Avellaneda team achieved a record of seven consecutive official titles: since it added to the national championships of 1938 and 1939, two Aldao Cups, two Ibarguren Cups.

In 1943, Platense had finished seventh in the tournament, the last step to qualify. In the Professional League Cup, they also entered from the last possible position: they were fourth in their group and of the eight qualified for the playoffs, they had the fewest points.

In the quarterfinals, they defeated Estudiantes de La Plata 1-0. In the semifinal they eliminated Boca, who had been the champion of the tournament, after a goalless draw but with forcefulness in corner kicks: Calamar then won 7 -3. Thus he reached the final to face Huracán, the previous champion of the Escobar Cup.

The last Squid final will turn 80 years old on December 11. It was played at the Gasómetro with the attendance of about 60 spectators and it was home to Huracán, who played entirely in white. Platense, with the brown band on the chest.

They tied without goals, they played the extra 20 minutes without any differences and when it came time to count the corner kicks, the Globe celebrated because it had four and the Calamar only one. That was the first final that was defined by that system.

El Globo then added its second Escobar and was the one who won it the most times, since River, Independiente, Estudiantes and Newell’s won once each. San Lorenzo, Platense and Racing were never able to raise one.

The sixth and last edition was played on the Huracán and Independiente fields and the winner was Newell’s after beating Racing by corners 4 to 2 after a two-goal tie.