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The 91 years that separate the date of that mythical party (15-5-1929) with the present they should not minimize what at that time should have meant that the Spanish team prevailed over the inventors of football (4-3). And more in the way that he did. With a great comeback that caused the fans that filled the Stadium, as the Metropolitan Stadium was known then, to jump onto the pitch to carry the Red bearers on their shoulders.
It is necessary to contextualize the moment and the setting. In those days to say soccer, was to say England. It was the first confrontation between both teams and the rival arrived in Madrid with a full chest for his past and for his present. He had hung the gold medal at the Games in London 1908 and Stockholm 1912 and had never lost a match against a non-British rival.
In his 24 matches since 1908 against national teams, two on English soil and 22 outside, he had won 23 matches and tied one, 1-11-1923 against Belgium (2-2), who at that time was the Olympic champion. Their first international match was dated 11-30-1872 against Scotland (0-0) and against Spain they were going to play their 167th match. How could they not feel superior that their Federation allowed itself the luxury of creating a second team, in amateur theory, for their confrontations with the continental teams, although he always reinforced himself with one of the professional players with whom he played the British Home Championship.
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The English team that played against Spain in the Metropolitano was full of substitutes … who had beaten France and Belgium without problems a few days before.
The English did not have William 'Dixie' Dean, their great star.
Their meetings were added by goals. The last two, just the week before traveling to Madrid. On May 9, he defeated France in Paris (1-4) and Belgium on Brussels on 11 (1-5). For these three matches, in relation to the last official match in April against Scotland, the Coaches Technical Committee that led England chose to only displace two indisputable starters. The two defenders, Cooper and Blenkinsop. In the three games he barely made any changes, so the alibi of exhaustion, in Madrid they also complained about the heat, for playing three games in six days could serve as an excuse.
The most notorious absence was that of striker Dixie Dean, then Everton's top scorer and who in the previous season, 1927-28, had scored 60 goals in 39 league games. With the national team he sealed 18 in 16 games between 1927 and 1931.
Presented in society all the powers of the rival, the recognition of the Spanish team for its brave performance in this meeting is mandatory. For the National Team it was match 33. One less in the event that the match against Portugal of two years before which was first considered as ‘A’ was not contemplated and 50 years later it became 'B'. Be that as it may, nothing to do with the 166 of the enemy.
The eleven heroes that defeated England: from left to right pose Quesada, Marculeta, Padrón, Gaspar Rubio, Peña, Zamora, Prats, Yurrita, Lazcano, Seve Goiburu and Jacinto Quincoces.
After the win against Italy (7-1) at the 1928 Amsterdam Games, the change of coach was almost obligatory. The journalist José María Mateos, who had previously been part of the Technical Committee, took command and faced the great challenge against England after having won the two games played so far this year. Launched paths: 5-0 to Portugal and 8-1 to France.
Finally, it was decided that the game would be played at the Stadium, which was six years old and premiered as host of the national team. The choice of the venue had a lot to do with the call. The coach, surprisingly, decided not to call up any Barcelona player who a month later would be proclaimed champion of the Spanish First League. On the contrary, up to five Real Madrid footballers were part of the call. The five holders: Quesada, Prats, Peña, Lazcano and Gaspar Rubio.
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General view of the impressive appearance, filled to the flag, offered by the Metropolitan during the match between Spain and England. Some sources claim that 50,000 spectators followed the match live.
Tickets from 5 to 22 pesetas
Big day. In the box of honor the infants don Juan, don Gonzalo and don Jaime de Borbón together with the local authorities and the English ambassador. The National Team wore a black bracelet for the death of José María Acha, vice-president of Arenas de Guecho, one of the managers who worked the most to get the League in Spain up and moving to Madrid to witness the match. It was the first game that was broadcast by radio in our country. By Unión Radio de Madrid with the voice of Carlos Fuente Peñalva.
The tickets ranged from five pesetas in the background overall to 22 pesetas in the front of the track and rostrum. There were practically localities at all prices: 5,6,7,9,10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20 and 22 and at the resale, if any, one or two pesetas were sold above their box office price.
The captain, Ricardo Zamora, who completed his 29 international match; the defender Quincoces (Alavés); midfielder Marculeta (Real Sociedad), interiors Goiburu (Osasuna) and Padrón (Spanish) and winger Yurrita (Real Sociedad) completed the eleven. On the bench, only the substitute goalkeeper, Guillermo Eizaguirre. It was decided that despite being friendly, no substitutions would be made.
Spanish players greet before the start of the match.
At five in the afternoon the meeting began. Much hot. Full. Official figures estimate 45,000 fans. Others reach 50,000. In any case, many more than the capacity of the official capacity. Curious the circumstance that in the Spanish team, together with the coach, José María Mateos, as coach was Fred Pentland, who had directed Athletic de Madrid that first season of the League and the following year he would be champion with Athletic. An Englishman from Wolverhampton against his compatriots.
The English started the game clearly dominating the Spanish team.
The average age of the British was 28.9 per 24.5 of the Spanish. Only one change in the local eleven in relation to the win against France, Prats for Bienzobas. The rivals came out to warm up ten minutes before the start of the game and when it started their offense was total. They seemed taller, stronger, and faster. Possibly they were.
Peña and Zamora collided on the first English goal.
The two teams planted in the classic 1-2-3-5 of the time. After 20 minutes, England already won 0-2. Two passes from the far right, Addock, are spiked into the net by Carter and Bradford. In the first, the infallible Zamora collided with his partner Peña and led the auction. Carter finishes off the crossbar which could have been the third. In the Stadium the tragedy is chewed. The English superiority was absolute, so much that they lowered the piston and the National Team got into battle with the goals of the great Gaspar Rubio and Lazcano who understood each other with their eyes.
Goal from Spain to England in the Metropolitan.
Gaspar Rubio scores one of his two goals.
Rest comes better to the rival. He regains strength and becomes the owner of the ball and the situation again. Carter, from a penalty, makes the third and Spain reacts with pride in a patriotic and electrifying environment. Gaspar Rubio and Goiburu, in three minutes, turn the scoreboard and promote the double invasion of the field of play. The objective was none other than to carry the goal-bearers on their shoulders and the British Press echoed the circumstance with a special mention for “the guards who were chasing fans with their swords drawn.”
An image of the fourth goal of the match, achieved by Goiburu, who gave the victory to Spain.
The feat was a reality. England, undefeated against the continental teams, knelt at the Stadium. The defeat stung the English and seven of their players, coincidentally, did not play with the national team again. His Federation quickly issued an invitation to the Spanish to play a game on English soil. They were looking for revenge and they had it.
The fans shouldered Gaspar Rubio at the end of the game.
Magician and King of the Astragalus
The great winner of the afternoon, then 21 years old and a striker for Real Madrid, was nicknamed. For many he was the “magician” due to his exquisite ability with the ball and the way of understanding and interpreting the game. For others, without ceasing to perform magic on a playing field, he was the 'King of the Astragalus' because he was always complaining about having injuries to that short bone located in the ankle and from which he underwent surgery. They say that before playing the game in question, he asked the Federation managers for a personal bonus for each goal to score. His whims were as tangible as his quality as a top footballer, considered one of the best footballers of the moment in that his first time.
With the Selection he played only four games but scored nine goals. Three in his debut against Portugal (173-1929), four against France and two against England. The three consecutive games. He only stopped scoring in the fourth against Czechoslovakia (1-1-1930). Count his appointments for victories.
Able to declare in absentia and leave Real Madrid and the National Team itself at the zenith of his career to go play for a season … to Cuba and then to Mexico. He returned to the white club (two stages) and thus complete a career full of jumps: Athletic de Madrid (two stages), Valencia, Levante (three stages), Recreativo Granada (two stages), Murcia and Balompédica Linense.
Two years later, on 9-12-31, both teams met again at Highbury and the National Team suffered what is still the worst defeat in their history (7-1). The same result reaped against Italy in the 1928 Olympics.
With José María Mateos still on the bench, only Ricardo Zamora and Quincoces, already a Real Madrid player, repeated in the eleven. Four debutants. While in England there were still the two defenders of Madrid and if his great star Dixie Dean played, he scored a goal, 5-0. The Spanish goal, 7-1, was the work of Gorostiza.