Estadio El Morro

E Categoría:Wikipedia:Artículos con coordenadas en Wikidata stadio "El Morro" Ramón Unzaga Asla is a stadium with a capacity of 7,142 spectators, located in the city of Talcahuano, Chile. The football club Naval de Talcahuano plays its home matches here. Its name, "El Morro," comes from the hill located on one side. It is known for hosting the official debut of the football technique called "chilena" (bicycle kick) in 1914.

History

It is the oldest stadium in Chile. In its early days, around 1900, it was a football field where spectators took advantage of the slope of the hill to watch the matches. The stadium was built around the same time as the founding of Naval de Talcahuano in 1949.

In 1962, the grass surface for the central field, as well as a perimeter fence, new stands, and bleachers on the hill, were inaugurated as part of the 7th FIFA World Cup held that year. In 1963, the Brazilian team Santos, the reigning "club world champion," led by Pelé, who was known for his exceptional execution of "chilenas," played a friendly match against Naval de Talcahuano in the stadium, which had over 20,000 spectators filling the hill, and ended with a score of 0-5.

The stadium has not undergone major repairs to its structure, thus maintaining its aged and heritage architecture as a reminder of what Chilean stadiums were like in the past. It has a second field located on the side of the stadium, which has not received proper maintenance.

Since August 1966, the decree declaring the "El Morro" stadium in Talcahuano as a national monument has been pending. The locals insist on completing the procedures to preserve the quality of the sports facility over time. In 2007, with the establishment of Naval as a sports corporation, negotiations were announced with the Chilean Navy and the municipality of Talcahuano for the repair and remodeling of the stadium.

The earthquake and subsequent tsunami on February 27, 2010, caused severe damage to the historic stadium in Talcahuano. The once top-quality grass field in southern Chile was completely burned due to saltwater flooding. The stadium's infrastructure also suffered significant damage, with the sea washing away the olympic fence, perimeter enclosures, and even one goalpost. After the natural disaster, the "El Morro" stadium underwent remodeling, including the replacement of the perimeter fence, installation of synthetic turf, new stands and a grandstand, bathrooms, among others. Two years later, the stadium was once again used for professional football matches. The reopening took place on August 19, 2012, with the match between Naval and San Marcos de Arica for the Primera B championship.

Origin of the "chilena"

One version of the creation of the "chilena," a spectacular move in football, states that it was born in the "El Morro" Stadium in January 1914 and was the work of the football player Ramón Unzaga, after whom the stadium is named. Unzaga, a Basque player who became a naturalized Chilean, played for teams in Talcahuano and repeated his move in the South American Championships of 1916 and 1920, where the move was baptized with its current name.

References

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