Soccer in Sun and Shadow

Goal by Severino

It was 1943. Boca Juniors was playing against River Plate’s “Machine” in Argentina’s soccer classic.

Boca was down by a goal when the referee whistled a foul at the edge of the River area. Sosa took the free kick. Rather than shoot on goal, he served up a center pass looking for Severino Varela’s head. The ball came down way ahead of Varela. River’s rear guard had an easy play, Severino was nowhere near it. But the veteran striker took off and flew through the air, clawing past several defenders until he connected with a devastating beret-blow that vanquished the goalkeeper.

His fans called him the “phantom beret” because he would fly uninvited into the goalmouth. Severino had quite a few years of experience and plenty of recognition with the Uruguayan club Peñarol by the time he went to Buenos Aires wearing the undefeated look of a mischievous child and a white beret perched on his skull.

With Boca he sparkled. Still, every Sunday at nightfall after the match, Severino would take the boat back to Montevideo, to his neighborhood, his friends, and his job at the factory.