It was a goal for history. Because it was in a La Plata classic, because it cut a 16-year winless streak for the Wolf in the land of the Lion and also because it was recorded as “the earthquake goal”, at least for part of the city. It happened on April 5, but in 1992, in a duel between Gimnasia and Estudiantes in the old stadium of 1 and 57. The goal was scored by the Uruguayan José Batlle Perdomo and it happened 9 minutes into the second half through a free kick 35 meters from the Pincha arch, where Marcelo Yorno was.
It was 9 minutes into the second half when the lateral marker Leonardo Squadrone had stopped striker Hugo Guerra (who had just played for the Uruguayan “B”) with a foul. The referee Juan Bava sanctioned and several candidates were outlined in front of the ball. But the one in the “6” shirt hit him with conviction and fairness with his right leg (“inside of the booty”) so that the ball took off just over the barrier. When goalkeeper Marcelo Yorno wanted to react, not even that could. The ball was already nested by the right post.
So passionate was the celebration of the Triperos fans that the vibrations caused by the euphoria generated a movement that was registered as an earthquake of 0.3 degrees on the Richter scale at the Astronomical Observatory of the Faculty of Astronomical and Geophysical Sciences of the National University de La Plata, located 600 meters from where that historic classic was played. The news travelled all round the world.
The researchers picked up the vibration, but did not expect such an impact. Interestingly, the day after Gimnasia’s victory, a large group of journalists showed up at the university facility to find out what, for sure, had happened at the exact moment that the fans were delirious with the goal.
The head of the Seismological Station Department of the Observatory, at that time, said that “technically it is a noise that is not recorded because it did not reach the necessary extent, but those who were at the Station saw that the needles moved, recording the movement ” .
The La Plata classic did not record incidents that Sunday, when Newell’s de Bielsa was leading, in which the Englishman Nigel Mansell won the Formula 1 GP in Brazil, and in the Italian League a certain Gabriel Batistuta scored two goals for Fiorentina.
In our city, meanwhile, a soccer legend was born that is still present in the chant of the fans and that to this day serves the club for a campaign that seeks partners, under the slogan “social earthquake”.
