Eloisa Martin

The situation in Argentina today reflects both the legacies of once the most developed country in Latin America and the unprecedented social changes of the 1900. Within this context, and as a result of it, the younger generations have developed new definitions of self, based on values different from those of previous generations. The young, among what might for want of a better word be called the ‘popular’classes, do not define themselves as ‘youths’. But the term used,‘pibe’, the emic category, while not completely shedding its ties to the relationship between childhood and adult life, is sustained by a new definition of masculinity.

By: Carlos Gardel

Cuando la suerte qu’es grela

Fayando y fayando

Te largue para'o

Cuando estés bien en la vía

Sin rumbo, desespera'o

Cuando no tengas ni fe

Ni yerba de ayer

Secándose al sol

Cuando rajés los tamangos

Buscando este mango

Que te haga morfar

La indiferencia del mundo

Que es sordo y es mudo

Recién sentirás

Verás que todo es mentira

Verás que nada es amor

Que al mundo nada le importa

Yira, yira

Aunque te quiebre la vida

Aunque te muerda un dolor

No esperes nunca una ayuda

Ni una mano, ni un favor

Cuando estén secas las pilas

De todos los timbres

Que vos apretás

Buscando un pecho fraterno

Para morir abraza'o

Cuando te dejen tirao

Después de cinchar

Lo mismo que a mí

Cuando manyés que a tu lado

Se prueban la ropa

Que vas a dejar

Te acordarás de este otario

Que un día, cansado

Se puso a ladrar

Lunfardo words related to bomberos voluntarios:

Elements such as the organito and the cornet helped the tango to spread and be accepted little by little; The organito or piano mechanic, which at the end of the 19th century had become very popular in Buenos Aires, especially because some of its size allowed it to be transported and carried around the neck (the smallest ones), inserted in trolleys with wheels which were pushed by the organ-grinders, or in carts pulled by horses. Thanks to its ease of transport, the mechanical pianos had as main stage the streets of the city of Buenos Aires, the organ-grinders were called very often to the conventillos, peringundines, brothels, squares or family houses of the city. In these instruments music of all kinds was played, generally the one that most liked the people of that time and within the music played by these was the tango. The trumpets of the trams also helped the propagation of the tango, since with few notes they announced their passage with brief pieces of the most popular tangos.

Tango had its origin as an instrumental music, which was only to be danced, so it was very unlikely to be accompanied by the voice. The sung tango began to be interpreted from the 1850s, almost always a soloist, eventually a duet, without a chorus, but maintaining in a very marked way the separation between instrumental tangos and sung tangos.

LUNFARDO
-arrabal: Extramural neighborhood where someone sings or dances a tango.
-bandola: bandonian 
-encornada: guitar
-escobero: guitarrist
-fueyero: bandoneonist

Famous people of tango: 
    Carlos Gardel: know as Charles Romuald Gardès was born in Toulouse, France on 11 December 1890 and died on 24 June 1935. He was a French Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. Gardel's baritone voice and the dramatic phrasing of his lyrics made miniature masterpieces of his hundreds of three-minute tango recordings. 
Gardel began his singing career in bars and at private parties. The first tango he created was named “Mi noche triste” with two other composers, it was the hit of the moment. Gardel went on tour through Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Colombia, as well as making appearances in Paris, New York, Barcelona and Madrid. He sold 70,000 records in the first three months of a 1928 visit to Paris. As his popularity grew, he made a number of films for Paramount in France and the U.S. He died on a airplane crash in Medellín, Colombia. 
Carlos Gardel holds a unique place in the popular culture of Latin American, a region whose achievements in “high” culture have long since been acknowledged by the rest of the world. Gardel was Latin American’s first superstar of light entertainment in the twentieth century. In Spanish American countries, especially in Argentine and Uruguay; his records are still bought and played in respectable quantities, radio programs are still devoured to him, flowers are placed in his tomb in the Chacarita Cemetery, Buenos Aires, every day of the year. The filthiest anniversary of his death provoked an extraordinary outpouring of articles in the Spanish American press, as well as a veritable of flood of commemorative acts in Argentine. In short, the reputation of the figure is still very considerable, despite the passage of more than a half century since his untimely and tragic exist from the scene.  

Source: https://m.monografias.com/trabajos77/historia-tango/historia-tango2.shtml#origenmusa

http://www.unesco.org/archives/multimedia/?id_film=319&id_page=33&s=films_details

https://www.lagazeta.com.ar/lunfardo.htm

 

 

 

https://scholar.google.es/scholar?hl=es&as_sdt=0,5&q=origen+lunfardo+la+boca#d=gs_qabs&u=#p=mfvnV51ZM7oJ

The man of the couple is always wearing a suit and can opt between wearing a shirt and a tie or a bow. There is no jeans or casual shoes involved.

Moreover, the woman generally is clothed in a black dress or a shirt and mini skirt, with the distinctive detail of carrying a garter in one of its legs. Furthermore, necklines and tight clothing are used to highlight the female figure, but it is important that the female dress, despite showing the curves, should allow the woman to move freely on the dance floor. That is why dresses with long slits that allow this combination between sensuality and freedom to move are used.
http://www.objetotango.com.ar/objetos/vestimenta.html
More information about tango origins:
No matter what its exact origins are, the words “ tango” and “tambo” started being used for naming dance and musical gatherings of slaves in the region of the basin of River Plata. As this term started gaining popularity, it quickly became a synonym for the entire tango dance and tango music style.
First historical record of the word “tango” can be found in the government proclamation in Argentina dated to 1789, in which authorities place a ban on “tango” musical gatherings that were frequented by slaves, lower classes of free people living in the port areas of Buenos Aires. The commonplace use of the word Tango in Argentina gained traction around 100 years later, near the very end of 19th century.
It is important to mention that the initial burst of popularity of Tango dance was fueled with the emotions of thousands of young immigrant men who arrived in Argentina searching for better life. Hundreds of their influenced re-shaped original tango into a modern form that managed to eventually capture the imagination of wealthier Argentine citizens, who managed to spread this incredible dance around the world, starting with their visits to Paris in the early 1900s where this dance quickly became an overnight sensation.

Characteristics:
Tango dance is one the most famous partner dances that emphasizes the vibrant and playful style of movement, rich expressions, improvisation and requires close connection and passion between dancers. It is currently practiced by millions of people from all around the world, who have learned to love not only a traditional tango style which was Tango dance is one the most famous partner dances that emphasizes the vibrant and playful style of movement, rich expressions, improvisation and requires close connection and passion between dancers. It is currently practiced by millions of people from all around the world, who have learned to love not only a traditional tango style which was popularized in late 19th and early 20th century but also many of its other modern tango dance variations created in Argentina and many other countries. The core concept of the tango dance revolves around leader and follower, where leader through their embrace gives openings to the follower what to do, and follower then chooses how he will respond. The end result of this cooperative process can be a highly improvisational dance that fully captivates the attention of both the dancers and spectators. The attire of the tango dancers is also important because it significantly impacts the visual appeal of the dance, most notably with female dancers promoting their elegance and sexuality by performing the passionate tango dance routines while wearing revealing clothing and high heels but also many of its other modern tango dance variations created in Argentina and many other countries. The core concept of the tango dance revolves around leader and follower, where leader through their embrace gives openings to the follower what to do, and follower then chooses how he will respond. The end result of this cooperative process can be a highly improvisational dance that fully captivates the attention of both the dancers and spectators. The attire of the tango dancers is also important because it significantly impacts the visual appeal of the dance, most notably with female dancers promoting their elegance and sexuality by performing the passionate tango dance routines while wearing revealing clothing and high heels
http://www.dancefacts.net/tango/history-of-tango/

- A neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina which was formed by immigrants in 1880-1930 who mainly came from Italy and Spain.
- It was a busy port area where dock workers who worked in shipyards lived. It remains one of the poorest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires.
- After a fews years, new ports were ports were built and the children of immigrants became the new middle class of Buenos Aired. Throughout the years, families began to move away from La Boca and the area fell into decline.
- In the 1950s, a local artist, Benito Quinquela Martín was determined to revive the area so he painted the houses in bright paint like how the poor immigrants did

1.Colorful houses

Shipyard workers would use discarded shipwreck material such as planks and corrugated sheets metal to build their homes. They would paint the houses with little bits of leftover paint they could find that was brought from Italy and Spain on the ships. Paints were brought to paint these ships as it was a long journey and the ships needed to be repainted once docked. Since the leftover paint would run out quickly, they were forced to use different colours, this lead the houses to look like colourful patchworks. 
Check this information

Around the 1920s La Boca fell into a decline as Puerto Madero was built and immigrants who worked at the port in La Boca moved to the new port looking for better working conditions. The children of these immigrants later became the middle class of Buenos Aires, this allowed them to move away from La Boca.(why explain) In the 1950s, local artist Benito Quinquela Martín starred painting the old house with bright colors.
[Belej, Cecilia. "Muralismo y proyecto moderno en Argentina entre las décadas de 1930 y 1950." (2012).](Source?)

2. El Caminito
"Caminito" translates to 'little walkway' in Spanish. It is named after and inspired by the famous tango written by Juan de Dios Filiberto.
In the 1800s a street flowed through the small street where el caminito is now. This stream was a tributary of the Riachuelo River. When the stream dried up, tracks for the Ferrocarril Buenos Aires t Puerto de la Ensenada were installed at the site. In 1954 the railroad closed and that street became an abandoned alley. Over the following year, local artist Benito Quinquela Martin and a group of neighbors decided to prepare the walls facing the abandoned street and paint them. Now it is a street museum made up by the colorful La Boca houses. Quinquela named the street museum "El Caminito" after the popular tango written by Juan de Dios Filiberto in 1926. In 1960, Quinquela set up a stage at the southern end of El Caminito to carry on the tango legacy Filiberto had left in La Boca.(What stage? Explain)

3.Fileteado Porteño

A popular and decorative art form that originated at the beginning of the 20th century. The pioneers of this art were Italian immigrants who worked in wagon factories and paint the first ornaments on vehicles in the beginning it was all about simple lines filling the wagon panels and over time more decorative elements were added, this shaped the characteristics of fileteado. (Can Boca explain more?) Three known artists of  this genre were: Salvador Venturo, Vicente Brunetti and Cecilia Pascarella.
The main formal characteristics of filleted are:
- High levels of stylization
- Dominance of lively colors
- Shades that create the feeling of image depth
- The use of gothic typography or highly ornamental characters
- The use of symmetry
- The object or text painted should be visually enclosed by a painted frame
- Symbolical conceptualization of many of the represented objects (for example, the horseshoe as a symbol of good luck).

- Lunfardo began in the late 19th and the early 20th century’s.
- Is a term referred to the argentine slang, words and phrases used in argentina.
- Lunfardo began as a unique slang used by criminals. It spread quickly to the low economic classes of Buenos Aires and then to other parts of Argentina at the beginning of the 20th century.
- Many of the terms heard today trace their roots to the original prison slang.
- One of the most typical ways in which Lunfardo words were created was by reversing the order of the letters in the word. This is known ‘vesre’ Which comes from the spanish word for ‘revés’.
- Examples for vesre:
        - feca —> cafe (coffee)
        - tordo —> doctor 
        - chambomba —> bombacha (women’s underwear)
        - garpar—> pagar (to pay)
        - gomía—> amigo (friend)
  

- Example of Lunfardo words used today:
        - Cana —> police 
        - afanar —> to steal
        - guita —> money
        - laburar—> to work 

https://www.fileteado.com/fileteado_porteno.php -Alfredo Genovese

Genovese, Alfredo. Fileteado Porteño. Gráfica Printer, 2005.

https://www.amusingplanet.com/2016/10/la-boca-buenos-aires-colorful-district.html

Devoto, Fernando. “The Origins of an Italian Neighbourhood in Buenos Aires in the Mid-XIX Century.” Journal of European Economic History 18.1 (1989): 37.

https://www.speakinglatino.com/argentina-spanish-slang-lunfardo/

Moya, Jose C. Cousins and strangers: Spanish immigrants in Buenos Aires 1850-1930. Univ of California Press, 1988

https://oxfordre.com/latinamericanhistory/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.001.0001/acrefore-9780199366439-e-302

Video about italian immigrants clothing: https://youtu.be/S59HOdGPUiw
Show to the class and explain (mute)

High class clothing: https://m.monografias.com/trabajos3/oligargentina/oligargentina.shtml

If we consider fashion as a manifestation of the ruling class within a class society, the oligarchy of the 1980s showed a predilection for elegance understood as the cult of ancient things and related to European taste.

In this way, the ruling elite ordered their costumes from the best tailors in England and France on their frequent trips.

We can say that the style of clothing represented another of the symbols that indicated the position and power of the dominant social class. In fact, the aristocracy does not allow the costumes and the sumptuary objects that are theirs to be used.

In this sense, already in the 1960s both newspapers and magazines inform readers about European fashion through the catalog system that allowed women in the interior of the country to be aware of the avatars of fashion.

Female fashion:

The women give more importance to the aesthetics of its underwear. The newspapers announce the lingerie imported of france and the swimsuit arrivals of paris. Also we note a greater interest for the female cosmetic. In this sense, it is announces the sale of imported wax powder, as well as teeth brushes, cologne, face powder, hair glitter and soaps.

Male Fashion: 

in relation to the men, it is of rigour to dress of tag to attend the dances made in houses or in the club el progreso. In winter the "pelisse" (coats of high neck) is fashionable and is used by the more elegant. The levitas, the jaquets and the white or fantasy vests, the dove high necks, the plastron ties with its inevitable pin of stone or diamond are norm. Besides, the plush galley is used and the wood cane with fist of gold, silver or ivory. This clothing changeud in summer, when the gentlemen of the aristocracy wore thread white suit and the hay cannotiers.

Slang words related to our topic:

Picture (slang)

Two English immigrants, Thomas and James Hogg, organized a meeting on 9 May 1867 in Buenos Aires where the Buenos Aires Football Club was founded. The club was given permission by the Buenos Aires Cricket Club to make use of the cricket field in Parque Tres de Febrero, Palermo, Buenos Aires, on the site now occupied by the Galileo Galilei planetarium. The first recorded football match in Argentina took place on this pitch on 20 June 1867, being covered by English language daily newspaper The Standard. This newspaper, published in Argentina, was the first one to cover football matches in the country.

The match was played between two teams of British merchants, the White Caps and the Red Caps. (In the 19th century, it was common practice for teams to be distinguished by caps rather than shirts.) The teams consisted of eight players each as the organisers were unable to find more players for the match. The line-ups were: Thomas Hogg, James Hogg, William Forrester, T. B. Smith, J. W. Bond, E. S. Smith, J. Rabsbottom and N. H. Smith (one team); William Heald, T. R. Best, U. Smith, H. J. Barge, H. Willmont, R. M. Ramsay, J. Simpson and W. Boschetti (second team). The team led by Hogg won 4–0, according to The Standard newspaper published on June 23.[10] The match played was a blend of both association and rugby footballs, with no goals on the field. The use of hands was also allowed.[11]

FIRST LEAGUE AND DEVLOPMENT

The so-called "father of Argentine football" was a Glaswegian schoolteacher Alexander Watson Hutton, who first taught football at St Andrew's School in Buenos Aires in the early 1890s. On 4 February 1894, he founded the Buenos Aires English High School, where he continued to instruct the pupils in the game. In 1894, the "Association Argentine Football League" was established by F.L. Wooley, with Alex Lamont of St. Andrew's Scots School as one of its members. The AAFL was the first football league outside of the British Isles. Five clubs competed but only one season was ever played.

In this early period, a number of football clubs were set up by the employees of the various British-owned railway companies in Argentina and a number of these teams have survived to the present day, including Ferro Carril Oeste, Ferrocarril Midland, Rosario Central and Talleres.

A new league with the same name as its predecessor, was formed on 21 February 1895. It eventually became the Argentine Football Association (AFA). In these early days of football in Argentina, nearly all of the players and officials were expatriate Britons or of British extraction and the oldest football clubs in Argentina like Rosario Central, Newell's Old Boys and Quilmes were all founded by British expatriates.

The most successful and admired team of this early period was Alumni, founded by graduates and students of Watson Hutton's English High School. Like all of the early clubs, it was composed mainly of British players.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the game became increasingly popular amongst other European immigrants, especially Italians.

British football clubs tours over South America contributed to the spread and develop of football in Argentina during the first years of the 20th century. The first club to tour on the country was Southampton F.C. in 1904, followed by several teams (mainly from England although some Scotland clubs also visited South America) until 1929 with Chelsea F.C. being the last team to tour.[15]

British teams were considered the best in the world by then, and some of them served as inspiration to establish football clubs in Argentina, helped by the immigration of British citizens that had arrived to worked for British companies (mostly in railway construction). Belgrano A.C., Rosario A.C., Alumni and Quilmes are some examples of clubs established by British immigrants to South America.[9][16]

consolidation

The early years of the 20th century saw a large number of new clubs formed; by 1907, there were over 300 teams in Argentina.[17] Most of the major clubs were created around this period; they played in the national amateur tournament or in local championships. By this time, matches had a considerable attendance and as the popularity of the game increased the British influence on the game waned. In 1911, Alumni folded and by 1912 the Association was renamed in Spanish as the Asociación Argentina de Football, although the tradition of giving the clubs English names continued for many years.

During the early 20th century, many new football leagues were started in cities across Argentina as the popularity of the game spread out from Greater Buenos Aires, these include Rosario (with the establishment of Liga Rosarina in 1905), Córdoba (1912), Santa Fe (1913), San Miguel de Tucumán (1919) San Luis (1920) and Salta (1921).

The first official match played by the Argentina national team took place on 16 May 1901 against Uruguay, a 3–2 win for Argentina.[22] This game marked the beginning of the Argentina and Uruguay football rivalry.

The first trophy won by Argentina national team was the Copa Lipton in 1905. They won their first tournament in 1910 (Copa Centenario de la Revolución de Mayo) which was contested between Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Chile.

In 1916, Argentina competed in the first Copa América which was won by Uruguay. Argentina would win the tournament for the first time in 1921, and have gone on to win it a total of 14 times.

During the 1920's decade, Huracan Club was a strong competitor, winning most of the annual championships, as Racing Club did during the 1910's. To mention a tradition, the Huracán footballers and fans used to meet at the historical Japanese Cafe.

In 1928, Argentina competed at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, where they finished runners-up to Uruguay. Two years later, they competed in the first FIFA World Cup, again finishing runners up to hosts Uruguay.

Following two seasons of disrupted play due to mass cancellation and suspension of matches and the mid-season withdrawal of teams in the 1929, and 1930, 18 teams decided to form a breakaway professional league for the 1931 season.[25] The amateur league carried on in parallel until it folded in 1934 with many of the teams joining the new professional second division The creation of the professional league helped curb the exodus of Argentine talent to high paying European football clubs. The 1934 World Cup Italy national team championship side featured several Oriundo in the squad composed of Argentine-born players such as Raimundo Orsi, Enrique Guaita, and Luis Monti who also played for Argentina in the 1930 World Cup.

In 1964, Independiente became the first Argentine club to win the Copa Libertadores, Argentine clubs have won the competition a total of 22 times; Brazilian clubs have the second-most, with 17.

In 1967, Racing became the first Argentine team to win the Intercontinental Cup. Argentine clubs have won the tournament a record nine times.

In 1978, Argentina hosted the World Cup, where the team defeated the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final to win their first World Cup. Argentina would win their second World Cup in the 1986 edition.

In 1982, due to an uncertain political atmosphere and an extremely unstable government with multiple presidents over the span of a short time, most football clubs were lacking the money to keep top domestic players. 1982 saw a whole slew of players leave Argentina for Europe: players like Maradona, Mario Kempes (who had already played in Spain and had briefly returned to Argentina), Daniel Passarella and many others leave for Spain, France, Italy or England.

In 1995, Rosario Central became the first club not based in the Buenos Aires province to win an international cup recognised by FIFA, the CONMEBOL Cup. Argentine clubs have won the tournament a record three times.[30]

In 2004, the Argentina Olympic football team won Gold at the Athens Olympic games; they defended their title in 2008 to become the first team to defend the Olympic football title since Hungary in 1968

 

 

 

El fútbol fue introducido por inmigrantes británicos en 1880, cuyos clubes dominaron el periodo inicial del fútbol amateur en Buenos Aires. Desde 1904 la importancia de la colonia británica hizo posible la visita de clubes prestigiosos de la liga profesional inglesa (Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Everton). A partir de 1928, El Gráfico desarrolla la teoría de las dos fundaciones del fútbol argentino: la primera fundación será británica y la segunda será criolla. Uno de los argumentos utilizados alude al origen étnico de quienes lo practicaban en los equipos más famosos y, a la vez, integraban el equipo nacional. En la fundación británica, desde 1887 hasta 1912 –cuando se quiebra la hegemonía en la liga del club Alumni, el "glorioso club británico"–, los jugadores de origen británico dominan:

Fueron ingleses venidos al Río de Plata los primeros que practicaron el juego y siguieron practicándolo sus hijos incorporados en colegios ingleses tal cual se hace hoy con otros deportes como el cricket. Tuvo pues el football rioplatense su origen en sus primeras prácticas y la primera lección de técnica superior estuvo a cargo del Southampton, y luego el Nottingham Forest, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, etcétera. Todo completamente inglés, como puede verse y apreciarse en nuestros famosos cracks de nuestra iniciación en el football que se llamaron Brown, Weiss, Lett, Ratcliff, Buchanan, Moore, Mack, Leonard, Watson Hutton y tantos otros cuyos nombres no difieren en nada de los que practican el football en la Rubia Albión (EG, n. 470, 1928, p. 15).

La fundación criolla comienza en 1913, cuando el Racing Club, sin un solo jugador de origen británico, conquista el campeonato de primera división por primera vez. A partir de ese momento los clubes "británicos" pierden su peso futbolístico y sus jugadores desaparecerán de los equipos nacionales. Según El Gráfico este cambio ha sido posible ya que:

... cuando el fútbol comenzó a difundirse, dejaron de ser los cracks nombres británicos para transformarse en apellidos puramente latinos, especialmente italianos y españoles, como García, Martínez, Ohaco, Olazar, Chiappe, Calomino, Latoria, Isola.

Es interesante observar que lo criollo se define a partir de la predominancia de apellidos españoles e italianos. Lo criollo pasa a ser una fundación de los hijos de los inmigrantes latinos. Los hijos de inmigrantes ingleses nunca fueron concebidos como criollos, no se transformaron en criollos jugando el fútbol. No puedo desarrollar a plenitud este argumento, y solamente quisiera indicar que las diferencias eran diferencias de estilos. El Gráfico explica:

... es lógico que con el correr de los años, toda la influencia sajona del football haya ido desapareciendo para dar paso al espíritu menos flemático y más inquieto del latino.... Inspirados en la misma escuela que los británicos, bien pronto los latinos fueron modificando la ciencia del juego e hicieron una propia, hoy ampliamente reconocida... ella se diferencia de la inglesa en que es menos monocorde, menos disciplinada y metódica, pues no sacrifica el individualismo en homenaje a la suma colectiva de los valores. En el football inglés todo tiende a destruir la acción personal para formar un todo sólido, de manera que un team no se cuenta por sus hombres separadamente, sino por la acción uniforme de todo un conjunto. De ahí que el football británico sea realmente poderoso y tenga la fuerza regular e impulsiva de una verdadera máquina, pero es monótono porque siempre es igual y uniforme. El football rioplatense, en cambio, no sacrifica enteramente la acción personal y utiliza más el dribbling, el esfuerzo personal generoso, tanto en los hombres de ataque como de defensa, por consecuencia, un football más ágil y vistoso (EG, n. 470, 1928, p. 15).

En este texto aparecen un conjunto de oposiciones simétricas que serán sistemáticamente desarrolladas por El Gráfico. Lo británico aparece identificado con la flema, la disciplina, el método, lo colectivo, la fuerza y el poder físico. Estas virtudes ayudan a concebir un estilo como una "máquina", es decir repetitivo. El autor reconoce que este estilo permite conceptualizar el fútbol británico como "perfecto", es decir industrialmente perfecto. Lo criollo, gracias a la influencia latina, es exactamente lo contrario: inquieto, individualista, menos disciplinado, basado en el esfuerzo personal, ágil y virtuoso.²

La idea de oponer las virtudes de lo británico a lo criollo va a perdurar en el imaginario argentino. La metáfora de la "máquina" que se opone a la creatividad individual es una constante; sobre esto mis informantes no tienen duda alguna, independientemente de la argumentación en contra.³ Lo británico será industrial, mientras que lo criollo alude a un estado preindustrial. Durante un partido en el que se juega contra la máquina británica, o un estilo repetitivo, la respuesta típicamente criolla será el dribbling, que posteriormente será llamado gambeta (una palabra derivada de la literatura gauchesca que describe la manera de correr del ñandú). Esta manifestación de estilo es eminentemente individual y no puede ser programada, ya que es lo opuesto a lo industrial, al juego colectivo de la máquina.

En ese contexto y con el estilo propio afirmado, Borocotó, un periodista estrella de El Gráfico, elabora la teoría del dribbling criollo.⁴ Esta teoría está basada en las cualidades personales de los pibes criollos y su relación con los contextos sociales y espaciales que les permitieron desarrollarse (EG, n. 480, 1928). En primer lugar, el pibe se dio cuenta al ver a los ingleses que en ese estilo de juego no había lugar para la improvisación, para la "imaginación". En segundo lugar, los pibes practicaban el fútbol espontáneamente en los potreros (espacios vacíos de la ciudad, de diverso tamaño, por lo general pequeños e irregulares) sin un maestro presente como en el caso de Inglaterra en donde, según Borocotó, el fútbol se practicaba fundamentalmente en los colegios. En los potreros, ante el amontonamiento de jugadores en un espacio reducido, la única posibilidad de conservar la pelota un cierto tiempo era siendo un "dribbleador" empedernido. En tercer lugar, Borocotó recuerda que el fútbol argentino se ha hecho conocido en el mundo a partir del dribbling y los jugadores que dejan la patria para ir a jugar a Europa son los que mejor "dribblean". Borocotó sostiene, enfáticamente, que hasta esa época la Argentina era conocida en el mundo por haber exportado el valor de sus novillos congelados y la calidad de sus cereales, "productos no populares" –en el sentido que provenían de las estancias de la clase terrateniente pampeana–, y que ahora es importante que sea conocida por sus "productos populares". Uno de esos "productos populares" de gran calidad es el dribbling y sus exponentes, los "exquisitos jugadores argentinos de fútbol".

En esta visión mítica, claramente el pibe, sin ningún tipo de enseñanza, es el inventor del estilo "criollo" en el potrero. El pibe está en un territorio mítico que dota de poderes especiales a quienes lo pueblan. Esta imagen de Borocotó no solo señala el inicio infantil, como en todo juego, sino que indica la importancia de la frescura, la espontaneidad y la libertad. Tales valores aparecen asociados a la infancia, pueden perderse una vez llegada la madurez y, con ella, las responsabilidades de todo tipo. Borocotó propone que se levante "en cualquier paseo", un monumento al inventor del dribbling. Este monumento tendría que ser:

... un pibe de cara sucia, con una cabellera que le protestó al peine el derecho de ser rebelde; con los ojos inteligentes, revoloteadores, engañadores y persuasivos, de miradas chispeantes que suelen dar la sensación de la risa pícara que no consigue expresar esa boca de dientes pequeños, como gastados de morder el pan "de ayer". Unos remiendos unidos con poco arte servirán de pantalón. Una camiseta a rayas argentinas, demasiado decotada y con muchos agujeros hechos por los invisibles ratones del uso. Una tira atada a la cintura, cruzando el pecho a manera de banda, sirve de tirador. Las rodillas cubiertas de cascarones de lastimaduras que desinfectó el destino; descalzo, o con alpargatas cuyas roturas sobre los dedos grandes dejan entrever que se han efectuado de tanto shotear. Su actitud debe ser característica, dando la impresión de que está realizando un dribbling con la pelota de trapo. Eso sí: la pelota no puede ser otra. De trapo, y con preferencia forrada con una media vieja. Si algún día llegara a instalarse este monumento seríamos muchos los que ante él nos descubriríamos como ante un altar (EG, n. 480, 1928, p. 11).

Como hemos visto, la idea de potrero está asociada al paisaje rural de la pampa y se transfiere al paisaje urbano. Un potrero más limitado y más específicamente urbano es el baldío. Borocotó va a asociar el potrero al baldío. El baldío es un espacio entre dos edificios en la ciudad. Borocotó sostiene que los grandes jugadores argentinos provienen de los potreros y los baldíos. Ellos no vendrán de las escuelas o de los clubes, que son los espacios controlados por los maestros y los entrenadores. El potrero y el baldío son espacios exclusivamente masculinos en el que no entran ni las mujeres ni los maestros (en la Argentina doblemente femenino ya que, por lo general, la profesión de educador es femenina). Los grandes jugadores son pibes producto de esa libertad que les permite improvisar y crear escapando de las normas impuestas por los pedagogos de toda laya.

Mientras se reflexiona sobre el estilo criollo se construyen estampas de jugadores que van a funcionar como arquetipos de estos valores. La semblanza de Borocotó de Carlos Peucelle, mítico jugador del equipo argentino sub-campeón en el primer campeonato del mundo en 1930, es paradigmática. Borocotó titula "Carlos Peucelle, ciudadano del baldío"y escribe:

... es la personificación del potrero, es el ciudadano del baldío, es el campito que anda... Véanlo en el tranco, en las ganas de jugar, en la cara risueña y pecosa, en lo que tiene de purrete travieso y convendrán en que se va elevando el potrero amarrado a la cincha... Tiene el baldío metido en el alma. Obsérvenlo. Miren cuando se para en el centro de la cancha con su andar inclinado, revoloteando los brazos y sacudiendo las ondas que le tienen bronca a la gomina. Véanlo que parece decirles a los muchachos de saquito de piyama que están contra el alambre: "Esperen que termine esto y vamos juntos pal' potrero" (EG, n. 716, 1933, p. 4).

Ser ciudadano del baldío es ser un "hombre libre" en un mundo de iguales. El baldío aparece como una verdad democrática: Peucelle, luego del partido, puede ir al potrero a jugar un "picadito" con los espectadores. Peucelle tiene el baldío en su corazón y sus movimientos de cuerpo lo revelan, lo hacen público. La unidad corazón, alma y cuerpo es celebrada.⁵ Peucelle tiene, además, la pinta de un "pibe", parece un "purrete travieso" y, por lo tanto, no ha perdido su frescura. Esta paradoja es importante: una virtud masculina importante es la de conservar, en la medida de lo posible, el estilo infantil y puro. Peucelle transmite con su estilo la idea de que el fútbol es un juego y como tal sólo puede ser gozado plenamente cuando se tiene entera libertad. En el mundo democrático del fútbol quienes juegan verdaderamente son pibes, no están sujetos a la autoridad de sus padres y han escapado de los colegios y los clubes, de la autoridad y las jerarquías. El baldío no es un mundo de duelistas, no está poblado por gauchos o compadritos dispuestos a luchar y a matar si es necesario para defender el honor mancillado, es un mundo de pibes traviesos, pícaros y vivos (Archetti, 1995).

El baldío y el potrero se oponen sistemáticamente al pizarrón y a la escuela. A partir de la foto de un "profesor de fútbol", un jugador internacional inglés con una pelota en la mano y con la varita en la otra indicando en el pizarrón una muy bien dibujada cancha de fútbol, Borocotó comenta:

Si señor, sí: el fútbol inglés será más técnico, más efectivo, lo que Ud. quiera me da igual. El goal acredita la victoria, pero hay victorias sin pena ni gloria y existen derrotas que son amplios triunfos a puntos. Reconozco que la disciplina vale mucho, pero viejo, no me vengas con un pizarrón por favor.... Solamente a los ingleses se les ocurre el fútbol con un pizarrón. Hay que embromarse.... Allá hay que ir a la escuela para aprender el fútbol, aquí hay que hacerse la rabona en la escuela. ¡Casi nada! Allá hay un internacional con la redonda en la mano y la regla en la otra, frente a un pizarrón; aquí una de cuero en un campito y muchos pibes haciendo apiladas. Allá la técnica depurada, severa, concienzuda; aquí la gambeta, la gracia, la improvisación. En un lado la frialdad de los números y las hipotenusas; en el otro la alegría y la emoción del espectáculo.... Entre el pizarrón y el baldío, entre los de allá y los de aquí, mil veces los nuestros, aunque pierdan, porque dejarán un cachito de gracia en cada apilada, un granito de emoción en cada conquista (EG, n. 614, 1931, p. 6).⁶

Esta oposición puede verse en el estilo de uno de los grandes defensores de la época: Fernando "El Marqués" Paternoster. Gran jugador del Racing Club, estuvo en el equipo titular del Mundial de 1930, luego triunfó en el Brasil y tuvo una carrera exitosa en Colombia como entrenador. En una de sus muchas notas sin firma, El Gráficolo define de la siguiente manera:

Hay algo de inglés en su colocación impecable pero se sudamericaniza en la elasticidad de sus quites, en la falta de premura por rechazar y, sobre todo, en su apostura indolente.... Basta decir que es argentino para comprobar que no ha estudiado teoría, aprendiendo por pizarrón.... Fue de los del potrero; su falta de corpulencia le indicó la necesidad de arreglárselas con maña; y una maña eficaz no es otra cosa que muestra de inteligencia.... Tiene limpieza de prestidigitador, rapidez hecha de agilidad y concepción instantánea (EG, n. 619, 1931, p. 5).

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