Argentina needs 4 goals, at least, to reach the final, otherwise, Brazil would be finalist
the Peruvian team consists of quality players, like Chumpitaz, Velasquez, Oblitas or Cubillas, but this Peru is already a residue of the great 70s' Peru, an excellent team in decadence, which had its finest hour during the early years of the decade.
René Houseman is among the Argentina's substitutes... as it seems he was acting strangely the night before the match, didn't eat with the rest of the players, and spent most of the day in his room, completely alone.
"El Loco" Houseman, "El Hueso" Houseman, several were his monikers, and well-known was his extravagant behavior, a classic "7", a winger -a la Garrincha- who every Sunday was the delight of the Huracán fans, Huracán, his club.
There is an anecdote about Houseman scoring a goal vs. River Plate in 1977, being totally drunk, as it seems he was drinking in hiding before the match, and the anecdote is true.
Houseman was a sort of bohemian, rather a rock star than an athlete, a crazy soul who used to ramble from discotheques to bars in a Saturday night; no matter if in a few hours he had a transcendental match to play: his Saturday nights were wild, one of the last, truly romantic football players the world has witnessed
and as some rumors said, he was aficionado to the esoteric, and to the black arts.
Apparently he had some necromantic objects and/or amulets in his room, although all this is a supposition: nothing was seen clearly, notwithstanding some objects seemed to have been seen by other players of the national football team, and by the coach, César Luis Menotti.
In any case, nothing about this is sure, and it remains an enigma until this day.
During the travel in bus toward the stadium, before the match vs. Peru, Houseman was completely silent, seated alone in a corner, looking through the window
some players noted a strange black spot on his forehead.
... Second half and Argentina was playing an extraordinary football, and winning 4-0, notwithstanding the beginning was slow, and the match had to be worked insistently, to perforate the Peruvian defense, and to obtain a first goal that refused to come, or at least that's the sensation watching the videotape... there are many rumours and obscure stories about this match, and how the Peruvian players were generously bribed.
I couldn't say a word about this (notwithstanding it's crucial), I'm not sure, although I wouldn't get surprised if that actually happened... the suspicions fed by the enigma will linger on forever, probably.
Despite this, the football of Argentina seemed to be very dynamic, offensive and aesthetically exciting, and the ticket to the final was practically assured
then, 25 minutes to the end of the match, Menotti decided to substitute Daniel Bertoni, by Houseman.
Houseman was nervous, his movements were strange, his eyes were insane, he was over excited, although the coach didn't note this.
Or maybe he did.
2 minutes after he entered, he scored, it was the fifth Argentina's goal and the definitive road to the final vs. Holland: the Houseman's celebration for the goal (his fourth goal in world cups) was an exorbitant ritual: the goal was a vulgar rebound but he started running like a madman with his jugular about to explode, screaming like a possessed, like someone who is -mentally- out of himself, like someone who is not himself.
The match ended 6-0 finally.
Houseman was not seen at the showers after the match.
When the rest of the players returned to the bus, he was already there*, as it seems, the black spot on his forehead disappeared; he was pale and baffled.
*Note: Days later a couple of Uruguayan spectators claimed, and even swore to have seen René Houseman among them, watching the match.
We shouldn't take these assertions too seriously though, Uruguayans like to tell extravagant stories.
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