07/28/2021 6:12 AM
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 07/28/2021 6:12 AM
It is not necessary to ask why
Marcos Moneta
is called
Rayo
. Just by looking at the tries of the match that
Los Pumas 7s
turned to South Africa and ended up winning by 19 to 14 with two less players (due to the expulsion of Gonzalo Revol and the yellow on the closure of Lautaro Bazán Vélez), the answer falls as a ripe fruit. And more if you look at the final result: he was the great figure of a great team that showed all its resilience and gave Argentina its first medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
But his wake goes further and was fundamental in that victory that assured Argentina the semifinals in Tokyo 2020.
Moneta was the great appearance of the Seven in the stages of the World Tour in Los Angeles and Vancouver
in April 2019.
Suddenly, a 19-year-old wing appeared, passing like an "arrow" before the eyes of the rivals.
It was the Irish, Welsh, South Africans, Canadians, Samoans, Koreans, French and Fijians - precisely the executioners in the semifinals of the Olympic Games - who suffered at that time.
In his debut in society, the Argentine surprise scored between one and three tries per game and showed that it was something serious.
Squad for @ OfficialHK7s and # Singapore7s with the returns of @gastonrevol and @ osadczuk10 They
will also have their debut on the Circuit: Agustín Segura, Marcos Moneta and Tomas Vanni.
pic.twitter.com/72o92AbZL3
- Los Pumas 7s (@ lospumas7arg) March 24, 2019
Just over two years later, in the early hours of Tuesday, July 27, many were struck by Moneta's mental strength (in addition to physical ability) in the face of adversity.
Argentina was left with one less player and lost 7-0 to South Africa
, a power that, by tradition and present in rugby, would complicate Los Pumas.
More, taking into account that, due to the pandemic, Argentina had had problems in its preparation.
But the kid (who already turned 21), after scoring the tie, took the ball after a series of passes that started in a recovery in a Springboks line and ran in "flash mode" towards the ingoal.
The proof is in the embedded video below.
Conversion and the first lines that were written for the story that would deposit the team in the semifinals.
It could not be this time against Fiji, but Los Pumas had their revenge in the final with the bronze against Great Britain.
And
Rayo
contributed, how could it be otherwise, a try at pure speed - the others were the work of Bazán Vélez and Mendy, the decisive one.
This Los Pumas 7s try by Marcos Moneta is insane.
#Rugby # Tokyo2020
📽️ @TyCSports pic.twitter.com/EzH3TXJbGY
- Manu Puppo (@Manu_puppo) July 27, 2021
Marcos Moneta knows what it's like to fight her.
And everything is in its infancy.
There he began to row it, in his club, San Andrés.
He rose to First at 19 because he played little in his category.
The reason?
Their participation in different youth teams.
It seemed like the ticket to glory, but it would not be easy: it
came to a "rusty" team
, which had finished the first round of the Buenos Aires Tournament with 13 consecutive lost games and with the meager harvest of 2 points.
Since his arrival in the team, San Andrés began to flourish.
Fresh air.
Of the 14 games in which they were on the pitch, the team won eight and lost six
.
San Andrés reached the end of the championship without suffering in recent days and finished ninth.
That was his first medal.
History in Los Pumas?
Seven seems to be fertile ground for Moneta.
And also the Asian courts.
He made his debut in Hong Kong in 2019 on the World Tour
and the vice began to emerge: he
scored 15 tries in 18 matches
.
He also knew about gold medals: that medal was obtained at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
The memory seems distant, but it happened in 2018.
On Tuesday, when Moneta flew to score one of his tries against South Africa, many believed that he had paid a tribute to Juan Imhoff and his historic try against Ireland at the 2015 World Cup in England. "I have Juan as a reference, but It came out like this, "agreed who did not want to make his performance against South Africa more epic than he already had.
Moneta studied at the San Andrés school, where he started playing rugby.
In the juveniles he was champion.
And there he shared the afternoons with his brother Franco, who plays at SIC.
Like many Argentines, whoever shone in Tokyo is an admirer of Messi.
"Who would you like to have a barbecue with?" They asked him in an interview on the champagne rugby site.
And immediately the name of the captain of the Argentine soccer team came out of his mouth.
Now Moneta has just fulfilled a much more difficult dream.
He will have time for the barbecue with Messi.
* With information from Clarín, Rugby Champagne and agencies
Look also
The Pumas, historical: the seven got the bronze in Tokyo 2020
Tokyo 2020: what is rugby seven, the modality in which Los Pumas can give Argentina the first medal
