Robinson Crusoe Island, a Chilean football fairytale

The volcanic island of Robinson Crusoe, 670 kilometers (416 miles) west of Chile's mainland, was renamed in 1966 after the famous Daniel Defoe novel about a man left to survive on a remote island.

Over 300 years after the novel was written, this island of roughly 1,200 residents enjoyed one of the most magical moments of football history.

For the first time ever, the island competed in Chile's domestic football cup. The Football Federation of Chile invited Robinson Crusoe Island and Alejandro Selkirk Island to join together and compete as the "Juan Fernandez Archipelago".

On the last Saturday in April, they hosted three-time cup winners Santiago Wanderers and fell to a narrow 2-1 loss.

Juan Fernandez goalkeeper Hector Melo, who made a string of great saves, gave an emotional interview afterwards talking about his teammates, the people on the island and the beauty of football.

Most of the visiting team undertook a more than 30-hour boat trip to travel to and from the island because its airstrip is so tiny.

Marcelo Diaz is one of the journalists who traveled to the Robinson Crusoe to cover the game. After taking a flight on a small aircraft with space for no more than eight passengers, he says he then needed to take another forty-minute boat trip to reach the main town of San Juan Bautista.

Although isolated, San Juan Bautista has places to stay, a state-of-the-art phone system and satellite television. Chile's air force reportedly drops by to deal with routine medical and dental care on the island's rudimentary airstrip.

"They want the island to be better known. In 2010, they suffered a tsunami, in 2011 an air tragedy. They want to be looked at differently. That's why they are excited about the game," Diaz told DW.

"The coach is Jorge Garces, a former player and a title-wining coach in 2001. They have prepared in the best way."

Fishermen vs. pros

Garces, who ironically won a title with Santiago Wanderers, the team Juan Fernandez faced, lived on the island for two months getting the team ready. 

"God brought me here personally, and I thank him for it," said Garces.

There are perhaps four to five teams on the island who compete for a title, but they are amateur players and most work as fishermen. The local spiny lobsters are a particular delicacy, but harvesting them does make time for football hard to find.

Nevertheless, the cup sparked tournament fever on the island and the launching of the club's Instagram presence in late February has brought this remarkable story to the world.

"Meet Hernan Retamales, master of the sea and goal. His skills at sea and on the field are indisputable!" reads the caption under a video introduction of Retamales.

"Meet Pedro Calderon, an experienced fisherman and dedicated councilor, now shining in our team's frontline!"

Another reads: "Fredy Arredondo, only 16 years old, the youngest talent on our team! A student and central midfielder, he shows maturity and skill on every play and the future of the team is in good hands."

It seems the whole country's football community became captivated by this meeting, with Chile's former national goalkeeper Luis Marín gifting goalkeeping gloves to the two keepers.

More than a game

Reportedly, 150 journalists and associate league members came to the island this weekend. It meant that help from the Chilean navy was required, accomodations, which are limited, were also booked out. Wherever people stayed, barking dogs likely accompanied them through the night.

Traveling to remote islands for football games is not as rare as it seems. In France's domestic cup competition, overseas teams affiliated to the French Football Federation from territories such as Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Tahiti have all competed in the preliminary rounds, with some traveling thousands of kilometers to play.

But there is no denying that a boat trip to Robinson Crusoe Island to play in the first round of the cup is something unique. Although an upset did not materialize, Chile's cup competition has had its fair share of surprise results, perhaps none more famous than in 2008, when third-division side Deportes Ovalle made the final before narrowly losing.

Beyond its lobster and the scuba diving, the island is looking to change its image in the world. The fixture alone has begun to do that, and even though this group of fishermen, students and council members didn't win on Sunday, what a bit of history they have altready written for their community.

In the Robinson Crusoe novel, Defoe famously wrote: "it is never too late to be wise." On this remote island in the Pacific, it turns out it is never too late to dream either.

Edited by: James Thorogood