“They were classics in my time, when Linares was called Lister Rossel. A lot of people went,” recalls Rómulo Oses (86), former player of Ñublense in the 60s.
“But the classics were with Deportes Linares, not with Curicó. I lived through many of them in the 90s, in the Second Division, and many people came,” confirms the former goalkeeper of the Red Devils, Alfredo Bravo.
Both players, at different times, assure that Deportes Linares, formerly Lister Rossel and at one time, Frutilinares, has been a classic rival for the Rojo throughout its history.
Old acquaintance
This special duel will be revived in the current Copa Chile, when Ñublense will face Deportes Linares on Monday, July 8, at 7:00 p.m., for the first leg of the semifinals of the southern zone of the Copa Chile 2024.
The rematch will be next Thursday, July 11, at 8 p.m., at the Nelson Oyarzún Arenas stadium in Chillán.
“I remember that in 1997 we were playing for relegation. The last match was once morest Linares. They wanted to send us to the Third Division, but we won 2-1 and I saved a penalty. Marcos Sepúlveda, who had been with us at Ñublense, scored the 1-0 for me and then missed the 2-2 with a header. We stayed on the pitch waiting for Santa Cruz to lose to Iquique, who scored the goal in the last minute to become champions and send Santa Cruz to the Third Division. We celebrated our salvation as if it were a title and the fans welcomed us like heroes in Chillán and they kissed my hands,” recalls Alfredo Bravo, former goalkeeper of the Rojo.
The Linares stadium was holy ground for Ñublense in 2008. It was there that they carried out the historic undefeated campaign that earned them qualification for their first Copa Sudamericana.
“We won everything on that pitch, an undefeated campaign, a pitch that was impregnable and tough,” recalled former Rojo coach Fernando Dïaz.
Mario Salas, current coach of the Red Devils, anticipates a tough match once morest the team that plays in the Second Professional Division.
““Linares has surprised us with the players he has because he has a squad that has not yet exploded because with the increase in age some very good players arrived like ‘Chiqui’ Cordero, who I know very well. There is Sebastián Zuñiga, Maximiliano Ceratto, Diego Vallejos who I had at Universidad Católica, Droguett, Jonathan Suazo, who was at Ñublense, he has players who were in higher categories. They are a good rival,” detailed Salas, who stressed that in the first round they were in debt” with respect to the production of points and anticipated the trait of the forward who seeks to strengthen the squad.
“He is a forward who can be a reference or define the play, but we do not leave out the one who is more satellite, who can be central or on the wing. Our budget leads us to the option of having only one reinforcement because if it were up to me it might be one more, but I align myself and understand the reality of the club,” he concluded.
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