The most experienced often repeat that life is not measured in years, but in moments. Hector Rodolfo Baley, the former Talleres goalkeeper who lifted the World Cup in 1978, also feels that way.
But the most important day of his career was not that final against the Netherlands in River and it was not related to any meeting in the Jardín neighborhood or the Chateau.
“Chocolate” was just 24 years old when he experienced a life-changing journey while playing in Colón. Those were days when he “ate bank” as a punishment after receiving a red “avoidable” four dates ago.
That is why he never imagined that that afternoon in July he would have this dialogue with Miguel “el Gitano” Juárez, his coach in the Santa Fe team.
Juárez: “Look Hector, tomorrow you have to show up at the Defensores de Belgrano field to train with the Argentine team.”
Baley: “Thanks ‘Gypsy’, I’ll be there then.”
Those were times when those summoned to the selection did not see the plaques with the names of those mentioned on the networks. The news took hours or days to get from one province to another, so the ex-archer had to look for a public telephone to notify “his own.”
And in dialogue with Mundo D he recalled: “I didn’t go crazy, it was a summons to a friendly match with Uruguay. And it ended up being the most important day of my career, there was a before and after. The first who knew were Enzo Trossero and Hugo Coscia, who played with me in Colón and we shared a house in Santa Fe ”.
The truth is that that meeting with the “charrúas” ended with an Argentine victory by 3 to 2 and the one who stopped was Ricardo La Volpe. The other summoned in principle was “el Pato” Fillol, but he got off the albiceleste to be able to be in a match with River, who had been without titles for 18 years and was close to being champion in the Metropolitan. And there the chance for “Chocolate” appeared.
So important was that summons for Baley that to this day he does not forget any detail: “As soon as I arrived at the venue I appeared before Menotti. And he told me that he had asked my coach for a goalkeeper but he didn’t understand why they sent me, who had been eating bench. I explained to him that I was not playing because of my expulsion and he tested me that same afternoon, we played soccer. And from there, I was fixed ”.
The least expected dream
The world champion was born in Ingeniero White almost 70 years ago (he will meet them on November 16). There he had his first links with sports at the Puerto Comercial de Bahía Blanca club. He played four or seven.
But soccer was his least favorite and spent the most time on the basketball and volleyball courts. Even today, his passions are fishing and motor racing, beyond the fact that he likes to watch games on TV.
“My father was a goalkeeper but none of my brothers was thrown at the position. One day I thought that I had to please the old man and I went to the arch. And there I stayed forever. But I never thought I was going to play professional soccer. And even less that he was going to be in the Argentine national team “, said Baley, a lover of his position despite the ungratefulness of the matter:” It is a barbaric experience, but a bit cruel. One participates in a collective game but in reality one is alone. It’s a weird, crazy job. “
Meanwhile, the former Talleres mentally returns to that first practice with the albiceleste and says: “I was surprised that they summoned me because I didn’t even think I was going to be there because of the tapas. More than anything it caught my attention because I had not been playing. But that’s life”.
Almost a month later, on August 21, 1975, Baley had his debut at the national team’s goal. It was in a 6-0 win over the United States at the Azteca Stadium for the Mexico City Cup. But that is another story.
Finally, the former goalkeeper left his opinion on the sensations that Lionel Scaloni’s selection left him at the beginning of the South American Qualifiers heading to Qatar 2022: “I liked the game with Bolivia, I know what it is to play at height. The boys were good, I did not like what they showed with Ecuador. But I think there are very good players, we will see when we face important teams how it goes ”.
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