Santiago Videla, the hero of the Condors: “Now we have to play in the regions to spread this sport”

Santiago Videla’s life had one of those moments that leave athletes in history. The great figures remain in the collective memory for some milestone; one goal, one medal. In this case, the ranking penalty is kept in the unconscious. Not just because of the version itself, but because of its context. At one point, the Condors lost 19-0. Also, when it came time to kick and consume the return, there was very little play left.

Seventy-four minutes of play. Look up, in the direction of the goal. Inhale and exhale twice. First take two small steps, then speed up, take another step and kick. The ball rises and falls violently. Flags up and let’s go. With six minutes remaining, Chile, for the first time in the game, topped the scoreboard and gained the necessary advantage on aggregate. 31-29, the precise result. What seemed impossible in the first half was consumed in agony.

The clock is turning. Now slower than before. And finally, the night came. It was coming, actually. French judge Luke Pearce penalized a foul by Carrasco which gave the hosts a great opportunity to take advantage. However, after reviewing the play, he reconsidered his original decision.

Cry over celebrations. In conclusion, joy. It happened on the grounds of Infinity Park Stadium in Denver. The author of the great conquest, Santiago Videla, reflected, excited, on what happened a few moments ago. “We have been cultivating this character for three years and we have shown what Chileans are made of”, he declared to the microphones of the television broadcast.

The clock is ticking and the euphoria turns into an attempt to assimilate what has been achieved. Never before in history has Chile qualified for a Rugby World Cup. France 2023 will be the first planetary event for the Condors.

A day later, Santiago Videla, the hero of the day in North America, attends El Deportivo. He always looks excited. Although more than 24 hours have passed since the exploit, when he looks back on the match, the moments are still difficult to digest.

A historic day has been lived, but now, a little colder, what is the next objective of the Condors?

So far, we haven’t talked about group goals. We appreciate the achievement, what happened this Saturday. We are always excited. What happened was incredible. However, I think that in November we will already have games.

They were very euphoric once the duel was over, more privately… How was the party? What did they say in the locker room when they realized what they had done?

Mixed emotions. In the locker room and back at the hotel, you could tell from the surroundings. We kiss a lot. It’s hard to describe it in words.

Have you ever thought the duel was lost? They started 19-0 and the panorama seemed complex…

To be down, and for this number of points, in any match, is complicated. More in these decisive cases. But we knew that if we left with a result adjusted to the rest, in the second half we could press the accelerator a little more. It was all about staying calm and not giving up for the 80 minutes.

In the contingent, do you think they need a stadium to play in Santiago?

I do not think it is necessary to have a stadium reserved for rugby. I think that now we Condors have to play in the regions, all over Chile, to consolidate this sport. The whole country should be aware of this discipline.

When they fell in Santa Laura they were never taken down, they always showed they would come back, was their winning mentality part of the job?

These decisive matches, with key back and forths, are always very close. Last year we had a similar experience with Canada. By living it there, we understood what it was about. In the first leg we only lost by one point and in this series exactly the same thing happened, with the score repeated. We knew that losing so little in Santa Laura equaled winning by a draw or a draw. The series has been defined yes or yes in the United States.

It has been a process of several years, how would you describe the evolution of the team?

It’s been almost four years with the same player base. In this time, looking back, we realize that all the experiences, the moments, the defeats and the triumphs learned to arrive at what we live on Saturday. From day one, we had this goal in mind. At first it seemed very distant, but over time, we formed a paired group. We’ve seen each other every day for four years and here’s the result. We are in the World Cup.