Roberto Chery (16 February 1896 – 30 May 1919) was a Uruguayan football goalkeeper who played during the days of amateur sport in the Uruguayan Primera División (1900–1931).
Chery made his club career entirely at Peñarol, where he had successfully passed a test with his two best friends and then also international footballers, Isabelino Gradín and Antonio Campolo.
Summary Chery suffered a serious hernia injury while playing for Uruguay against Chile in the 1919 South American Championship.Una historia trágica en la Copa América on Prensa Libre, 13 June 2016 It was his debut (and subsequently his only game) with the national team after coach Severino Castillo decided he would replace Cayetano Saporiti. Although he suffered a severe pain after making a save during the match, Chery was not replaced and continue playing the match. 13 days after the injury, Chery was operated at Casa do Sáude in Brazil but he did not survive the surgery and died at 19:40.A 100 años de la desgracia de Chery by Marcelo Decaux at El Observador. 25 May 2019
The cause of death was a hernia which complicated after the physically demanding match he played for Uruguay. Chery's body was embalmed and then transported in ship to Montevideo, where he was buried at Cementerio del Buceo.
Aftermath
Brazil and Uruguay teams had scheduled a friendly match (Copa Rio Branco) for 19 June 1919. Due to the Uruguayan side declined to participate because of Chery's tragic death, Argentina offered to replace the Uruguayan side.
After the Brazilian Federation accepted, the match (now named "Copa Roberto Chery" to honor the goalkeeper) was finally played. Argentina entered to the field wearing Uruguay's traditional light-blue jersey while Brazil wore the Peñarol jersey.La más hermosa página de fraternidad, El Gráfico
All incomes from ticket sales were donated to Chery's family, while the trophy was given to Club Peñarol after an agreement between both captains.
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