 A Porteño team of 1912 | |||||||
| Event | 1912 Primera División (FAF) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Porteño was crowned champions after the Independiente players abandoned the field. | |||||||
| Date | 23 December 1912 | ||||||
| Venue | Estadio GEBA,Buenos Aires | ||||||
| Referee | Carlos Aertz | ||||||
The1912 Argentine Primera División final was thematch that determined the winner of1912 season ofArgentine Primera División. The championship was organised by dissident bodyFederación Argentina de Football (FAF), which had been established that same year after several disagreements with theArgentine Football Association.[1][2][3][4]
The final was contested byC.A. Porteño andC.A. Independiente, in order to decide a champion after both teams had finished tied on points (20 points in 14 matches played) at the end of the tournament.[5] Although Independiente finished the season with a largergoal difference (+21) than Porteño (+14) the FAF scheduled a playoff to crown a champion after a request from C.A. Independiente.[2]
It was the 1st. league final contested by Independiente, and the second by Porteño (lost toAlumni) in1911).[6] It was held in neutral venue (Estadio GEBA ofGimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires, then one of the main sports venues in the city). Porteño was crowned champions after Independiente players left the field in protest.[5]
| Team | Previous finals app. |
|---|---|
| Porteño | 1911 |
| Independiente | (none) |
Bold indicates winning years
Estadio GEBA, owned byGimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires. was (along withSociedad Sportiva Argentina) one of the main football venues in the 1900s and 1910s, having held matches of theArgentina national team and some club matches during that period.[7] The football team of the club (that played inPrimera División from 1911 to 1917) also used the stadium (which had a capacity of 10,000) for its home games.[7]
From 1925 on, the stadium mainly hosted rugby union matches. During 45 years it would be the most frequent venue for that sport, with theArgentina national team playing there its international games. In1927, the stadium hosted its first international rugby match when Argentina played v theBritish Isles during their second visit to the country.[8][9][10][7]
Nowadays, Estadio GEBA is used for music concerts, having hosted many artists performing there.[11]
The 1912 season was the debut of Independiente in Primera División after having been promoted by the Association due to the dissolution of Alumni.[12][2][13] The team finished in the first place after a 9–2–3 record, while Porteño shared the first place after a 8–4–2 record.[5] In the last fixture, Independiente was obliged to defeatArgentino de Quilmes to finish in the first position after Porteño defeatedGimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires. TheRojos easily beat theMate 5–0, nevertheless there were rumours that Argentino had fielded a weak squad in order to favour Independiente. Thus the executive committee of Independiente requested FAF to play atie breaker vs Porteño, which was recognised as a gesture of sportsmanship.[2]
The playoff was held on Sunday 22 December 1912 in GEBA. With only 2 minutes playing, Bartolomé Lloveras scored the first goal of the match for Independiente. In the second half, goalkeeperJuan José Rithner scored for the 1–1 draw after apenalty kick awarded to Porteño. With only 3 minutes remaining, Rithner got into his own goal with the ball in his hands after being collided by some rival players. Referee Carlos Aertz considered it afoul and did not award a goal for Independiente. His decision caused strong protests from the Independiente players so the referee sent offEnrique Colla, Juan Idiarte, and Ernesto Sande.[2][13]
The eight remaining Independiente players left the field out of protest against the referee's decission so the match was not resumed.[2] Some days later, the FAF confirmed the refeee's decision, awarding C.A. Porteño their first league title.[2]
| Porteño | 1–1 suspended at 87' | Independiente |
|---|---|---|
Rithner 40' (pen.) | Report | Lloveras 2' |
         Porteño |    Independiente
|
|
|
On AFA Bulletin n° 751, dated August 26, 1942, it was established: "...that the Association order the minting and delivery of the eleven gold medals that the former Argentine Football Federation was unable to award to the players of the Porteño club that crowned Primera División champions in 1912". The 1942 Annual Report made it clear that the AFA did so "in its capacity as successor to the defunct entities". By the time Porteño players were awarded medals, the club had disaffiliated from AFA eleven years earlier (abandoned the practise of football, focusing onrugby).[14]
In the end, 18 gold medals were awarded to the 1912 and 1914 champions. Seven of its players had played for theArgentina national football team:Juan José Rithner, Antonio Piaggio, Antonio Márquez, Vicente Abadía, Ernesto Galup Lanús, Carlos Izaguirre, and Roberto González Ezcarrá.[14]
