THE FOOTBALL PINK’S PETE SPENCER brings you his Top 10 World Cup moments over the next few weeks. At number 10 on his list we go back to 1962….
BATTLE OF SANTIAGO – 1962
Chile’s plans to host the 1962 tournament were almost decimated by the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. A few days before their match with Italy, two Italian journalists incensed locals when they were extremely derogatory about the state of the country. Add to this the Italian squad included several Argentinians with Italian passports and you have the recipe for a poisonous atmosphere.
It took about 30 seconds for the first foul to occur and things didn’t get any better. Two Italians were sent-off, the second one for a Cantona-style kung-fu kick at a Chilean player who had just lumped him one on the jaw. The referee, Englishman Ken Aston, never had any control over the players and seemed reluctant to punish any of the home side. Chile won 2-0 leaving the Italians eliminated.
Aston never showed the players any cards as they hadn’t been invented then. Who eventually invented them? Ken Aston.
