ABSTRACT
As a result of strong British commercial interests and presence in the River Plate from the mid-nineteenth century and proclamation of the first Uruguayan constitution in 1830, football became established in this region earlier than anywhere else in the Americas. Mario Benedetti appears here to be indulging in gentle criticism of the manner in which the country's best football players, via their participation in the 1980 Mundialito and their pursuit of individual wealth, provided tacit support for the military's political and economic agenda. Antonio Dal Masetto's Hay unos tipos abajo also focuses on the 1978 World Cup, following the growing fears of the work's protagonist that he is under observation during the days that lead up to the final match between Argentina and Holland. The poem captures the enthusiasm with which the public overwhelmingly embraced the tournament, which provided a temporary release from the daily horrors of the violence, repression and torture inflicted on the country by the military.
