Battle of Santiago
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- For the naval battle fought between the US and Spain in Cuba, see Battle of Santiago de Cuba.
The Battle of Santiago is the name given to a particularly unsavoury and infamous football match during the 1962 World Cup Finals. It was a game played between hosts Chile and Italy on June 2, 1962 in Santiago [1]. The referee was Ken Aston.
In this Group 2 clash, already heightened tensions between the two football teams were exacerbated by the description of Santiago in crude terms but not entirely derogatory fashion by two Italian journalists [1]. Chile's organization and preparation of the tournament had suffered through poor infrastructure, a problem made worse by the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960. Italian articles were edited and distorted by local newspapers to inflame the Chilean population. The distorted versions are still quoted on the web [1]. The journalists, Antonio Ghirelli and Corrado Pizzinelli, had to leave the country before the World Cup fearing for their own safety: a few days before the match an Argentinian journalist, mistaken for an Italian, was beaten up in a bar in Santiago [2].
The first foul occurred within 12 seconds of the kick-off [1]. Italy's Giorgio Ferrini was sent off in the twelfth minute after a foul on Honorino Landa, but refused to leave the pitch and had to be dragged off by policemen. Landa retaliated with another foul few minutes later, but he was not sent off.
English referee Ken Aston overlooked a punch by Chilean Leonel Sanchez to Italian Mario David. When David kicked Sanchez few minutes later, he was sent off.
In the violence that continued, Sanchez then broke Italian captain Humberto Maschio's nose with a left hook by accident. The two teams engaged in scuffles and spitting, and police had to intervene three more times.
Chile won the match 2-0 (74' Ramírez; 88' Toro), eleven men against nine.
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[edit] Statistics
Estádio Nacional, Santiago de Chile, June 2, 1962
Chile  |
2 - 0 |  Italy |
Attendance: 66 057 spectators
Referee: Ken Aston (England) 
Assistant Referee: Leo Goldstein (Israel) 
Assistant Referee: Fernando Buergo Elcuaz (Mexico) 
Scorers:
Chile: 2: 73' Jaime Ramirez 1-0, 87' Jorge Toro 2-0
Italy: 0:
Chile: 1- Misael Escuti (Colo Colo) - 2- Luis Eyzaguirre (Universidad de Chile}, 3- Raul Sanchez (Santiago Wanderers), 4- Sergio Navarro (Universidad de Chile), 5- Carlos Contreras (c) (Universidad de Chile), 6- Eladio Rojas (Everton), 7- Jaime Ramirez (Universidad de Chile), 8- Jorge Toro (Colo Colo), 9- Honorino Landa (Union Espanola), 10- Alberto Fouilloux (Universidad Catolica), 11- Leonel Sanchez (Universidad de Chile) Coach: Ferndando Riera.
Italy: 12- Carlo Mattrel (Palermo), 4- Sandro Salvadore (A.C. Milan), 7- Bruno Mora (Juventus), 8- Humberto Maschio (Atalanta), 9- Jose Altafini (Milan), 11- Giampaolo Menichelli (A.S. Roma), 16- Enzo Robotti (Fiorentina), 18- Mario David (A.C. Milan), 19- Francesco Janich (Bologna), 20- Paride Tumburus (Bologna), 21- Giorgio Ferrini (Torino). Coach: Paolo Mazza
