Galeano’s Goals: “Goal by Bettega”

By | September 22, 2009

Eduardo Galeano, in Soccer and Sun and Shadow (London: Verso, 2003), provides beautiful descriptions of famous goals from footballing history. Here is one of his descriptions, and a video of the goal. What do you think of the description? Can you find clips of other goals he describes?

“It was at the ’78 World Cup. Italy defeated the home team 1-0.

The play that set up Italy’s goal drew a perfect triangle on the field, inside which Argentine defenders were left as lost as blind men in a shoot-out. Antognoni slid the ball over to Bettega, who slapped it toward Rossi, who had his back to him. Rossi returned it with a backheel while Bettega infiltrated the box. Bettega then overpowered two players and beat the keeper Fillol with a tremendous left.

Though no one knew it then, the Italian team had already begun to win the World Cup that would take place four years later.”

Galeano, 156-157

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