The naturalized Chilean goalkeeper is one of the names in the Copa Sudamericana champion team, the Academy’s first continental crown after 36 years. With five titles in six years and more than 200 matches for the club, the nicknamed “Seagull” enters the books of the light blue and white store. In the national team, for the moment, he is marginalized.
From there, November 23 will never be the same again for Racing fans, one of the big five of Argentine football. The desire to once again win an international competition has finally come true. It was in Asunción, although it was more of an extension of Avellaneda, as they were clearly local to La Nueva Olla, where the Copa Sudamericana final against Brazilians Cruzeiro was played. The Academy’s 3-1 victory ended a long wait that lasted no less than 36 years.
It was the guard Gabriel Arias who lifted the trophy, along with the team’s other captain, Leonardo Sigali. It might be more or less obvious that the goalkeeper presided over the awards ceremony, receiving the scepter, in his capacity as bearer of the genet. However, especially for the naturalized Argentinian Chilean goalkeeper, it has additional meaning. At 37 years old, at the height of his sporting career, Arias played in a continental final for the first time and won it .
“We knew the importance for the club to win something international, it is the commitment of the whole club, of the people who work. When everything aligns, everything is easier and you crown it with an international title. It was my desire since my arrival, I am making a dream come true” said the Academy captain in dialogue with ESPN after Saturday’s definition. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be part of this group, since I arrived at this club. It’s part of a lot of people, people who continue to write to us from outside, a lot of people who have passed through here. This feeling of belonging makes us very happy… People accompany us in good times and bad, they have done crazy things to be here in the stadium,” added the former Unión La Calera player.
The Neuquén-born goalkeeper has accumulated five titles with the light blue and white club, including four at local level: First Division 2018-2019, Champions Trophies 18-19 and 2022 and Super Cup 2023. But the international one, finalized a few days ago, was missing. To date, This is the most important crown of the player’s career, arrived at Racing in 2018 from La Calera, where his link with Chilean football would be accentuated. His time in the cement factories also opened the doors to the national team.
With 219 matches played at the Avellaneda store, 213 goals conceded and five titles in six years, Arias joins the shortlist of the most important goalkeepers in Academy history. This is the transversal analysis that the transandean specialists reported for the final, highlighting what the player represents as a reference and captain of the team, in addition to the titles obtained. A significant detail concerning the romance that developed with the supporters: many Asunción supporters wore the green shirt that the goalkeeper traditionally wears.
If he triumphed in trans-Andean football, his career at La Roja remained unresolved. to wait for. With the arrival of Ricardo Gareca Gabriel Arias became Chile’s second goal, after Claudio Bravo. This was evident during the friendly match against Paraguay last June, when the former Betis player left due to injury and was replaced by the nationalized Chilean, to the detriment of Brayan Cortés. After Bravo’s retirement, the man nicknamed “Seagull” became a starter for the qualifying matches against Argentina and Bolivia. This unforgettable defeat against Highlands was Arias’ last match for the national team. From the national team, however, they assure that he is not “cut” and that the Tiger has him in their sights for the next challenges.
Great Archers of the Academy
Going into the review of the club’s great goalkeepers, this story begins with Marcos Croce the first idol of the institution’s amateur era. He spent eight years defending the goals of Racing, between 1917 and 1925, during which he won 10 titles. If it comes to historical archers, perhaps the most relevant among the Albicelestes is Agustín Mario Cejas who played no less than 334 matches. He was the goalkeeper of the team that won the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup in 1967.
Until Saturday’s consecration with Arias between the three sticks, the last international scoring champion for Racing was Ubaldo Matildo Fillol, considered the best in the history of Argentine football. The 1978 world champion returned to the club in 1987 and played a key role in winning the 1988 Super Cup.
Much closer in time appears a name which is not unknown to the local environment: Gustavo Campagnuolo. The goalkeeper of the emblematic team of Reinaldo “Mostaza” Merlo, champion in 2001, was part of Mauricio Pellegrino’s coaching team at the U in 2023. And he is now the goalkeeper coach of the staff of Gustavo Costas. In other words, he is also the South American champion.
If it is about the Chilean archers who built the history of Racing, we must refer to Sergio Livingstone . El Sapito crossed the mountain range in 1943 from Catholic University. The Academy paid the sum of 24 thousand dollars for his letter, a record figure at the time. He played a total of 30 matches with the light blue and white jersey, being chosen as the second best goalkeeper in the 1943 tournament and became team captain. This story ends at the beginning of 1944, when he decides to return to Chile for love. A short but significant path.
Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
