1919 Copa Del Rey Final

The 1919 Copa del Rey Final was an association football match between Arenas Club de Getxo and FC Barcelona on 18 May 1919 at the Martínez Campos stadium in Madrid. It was the deciding match of the Spanish cup competition, the Copa del Rey.

Both teams progressed through a quarterfinal and a semifinal round to reach the final, with Barcelona going undefeated throughout the tournament.

Arenas de Getxo defeated Barcelona 5–2 and won their first title. Félix Sesúmaga proved crucial for the victors, scoring two equalizers in normal time and another in extra time to help Arenas to a 5–2 win.

Route to the final

Both teams had qualified to the Copa del Rey as champions of their regional leagues, with Arenas winning the Biscay Championship and Barcelona winning the Catalan Championship. Arenas had previously reached the final in 1917, losing 2–1 in a replay match to Madrid FC. Barcelona had won the competition three times in 1910, 1912, and 1913. In the quarterfinals, Arenas won the first leg against Racing de Madrid 8–2, with Félix Sesúmaga scoring seven goals. Arenas took an early lead by scoring four goals in the first five minutes and Racing could not come back even though they dominated possession in the second half.

The second leg was won by Racing 0–2. Arenas had controlled the first half and part of the second, but missed many clear chances to score (including a penalty kick). Under the rules at the time, goal difference was not used as a tie-breaker, and so a replay match was played 3 days after the second leg. The day of the rematch it rained heavily and, though the pitch did not have proper drainage facilities, the match was played. Arenas won 3–0. After the match, the captain of the Racing lodged a protest accusing the referee of clear partiality towards the hosts. According to him, none of the goals were valid (the first being called offside by the assistant referee, the second due to a controversial continuation of play after a rough foul by an Arenas player, and the third as result of a controversial handball call). Additionally, the captain felt that the match should have been postponed due to the weather, with both an assistant referee and the representatives of the Central Spanish Federation believing the pitch conditions were not suitable for play.

They then faced Real Vigo Sporting, a Galician team that had previously reached the final in 1908. Arenas scored in the 10th minute of the first match thanks to a run from forward Sesúmaga. He followed it again with another goal later in the first half, with Vigo unable to score a penalty. Vigo controlled the second half but were unable to score, Arenas winning 2–0. In the second leg Arenas was much more dominant, demoralizing their captain-less opponents with a 2–0 lead in the first half and handling the heat better in the second to take a 6–1 victory, thus securing a spot in the final.

Barcelona's run was simpler, winning all their games in the competition on the way to the final. They defeated Gipuzkoa champions Real Sociedad 6–0 at their home stadium with a hat-trick from Lakatos on April 13. One week later Barcelona beat Sociedad away 3–1 at the Atotxa Stadium, coming from behind thanks to another hat-trick (this time from Vicente Martínez). The semifinals were against Regional Sur champions Sevilla FC. In the first leg in Barcelona, Sevilla managed to equalize twice until they took the lead with a late goal in the 85th minute. Barcelona responded instantly with an 86th-minute equalizer and followed it up with an 88th-minute winner by club legend Paulino Alcántara. The away leg was more straightforward, with Alcántara scoring three in the second half.

Match

Build-up

Arenas had been predicted to win. Fans broke down the stadium's outside fencing twice to try and get in as all tickets had been sold.

Summary

Barcelona used a more patient, technical style of play while Arenas relied on a brute-force method of reaching the opponent's goal. The latter's physical advantage and consequent endurance was a major influence on the result. Right-back Reguera and right half-back Agustín Sancho were the most hard-working of the Barcelona players but to no avail against the rapid transitional play and defensive solidity of the winners.

Barcelona was the first to attack, threatening the goal multiple times with Arenas counter-attacking. Arenas took the first shot-on-goal and shortly afterwards, Sesúmaga gave Arenas the lead with a "beautiful" goal. Arenas were then able to take control of possession. Viñals managed to find an equalizer for Barcelona, with the team dominating from then on.

Viñals gave the Catalans the lead in the early moments of the second half with a cross that Garchitorena passed to Lakatos for the goal. With just 10 minutes to go, Arenas brought the score to 2–2 thanks to a strike from Sesúmaga. Minutes remaining in regular play, Garchitorena missed a clear shot a few paces from the goal. With the game now in overtime, Sesúmaga once again scored. Peña then scored the fourth goal for Arenas. A fatigued Barcelona were unable to match the pressuring pace of the Basque team in overtime. Ibaibarriaga secured the win with one minute and a half left.

The referees were seen to perform well and neutrally, in part due to the uncontroversial actions necessitated by the game. The head referee, Julián Ruete, announced his decision to retire from refereeing after the match.

Details

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Copa Del Rey Final 1919
1919
Copa
FC Barcelona matches
Arenas Club de Getxo matches