Nineteen-year-old Boca Juniors winger Leonel Flores participated in four matches in a single week while playing for both his club and the Argentina national team, culminating in an appearance at the Estadio Monumental less than 24 hours after scoring a brace in the Torneo Clausura.
The sequence began on September 27 with a Copa Argentina appearance against Racing Club where he added 70 minutes in an agonizing comeback, followed by a substitute debut for the Albiceleste against Bolivia in Córdoba on Wednesday. Flores then returned to club action on Friday at La Bombonera, entering in the second half to score two goals in a 3-0 win against Unión, before appearing in Saturday’s international friendly in Buenos Aires.
The Twenty-Four Hour Turnaround at Boca Juniors and Stadiums
Reflecting on the physical demands of playing professional matches on consecutive days in different venues, Flores offered a lighthearted assessment in the mixed zone. “I’m 19 years old, it’s not a big deal,” Flores said. “I have the energy to play another match if possible, plus I like it. I prefer that rather than stopping for so long. Obviously it’s crazy, I played yesterday and I played today.” He added: “It was not discussed, however much time he wants to put me on, whether he wants to put me on or not, as long as I’m here I’m already happy.”
Flores entered the Unión fixture in the second half at 16 minutes of the second half before scoring twice in the closing moments, acting for 29 minutes. Less than 24 hours later, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni introduced the teenager at halftime during the friendly against Burkina Faso at the Estadio Monumental, replacing Gianluca Prestianni in a match that also featured debuts for Matías Soulé and Tomás Palacios.
The fixture marked his first appearance at River Plate’s home ground. The statistical archive highlighted a historical parallel in Argentine football, comparing Flores’s rapid sequence to a demanding three-match run by River Plate player Emilio Nicolás Comisso between September 18 and 20, 1978, which included matches against Rosario Central, Boca Juniors, and San Lorenzo. By that time, River led tactically by Ángel Labruna defeated Rosario Central 3-0 at their stadium for matchday 31 of the Metropolitano Tournament, thanks to goals by Ramón Díaz, Rubén Galetti, and Héctor Ramón Sosa. Just twenty-four hours later, on September 19, 1978, the Núñez squad had to cross paths to visit Boca at La Bombonera in the framework of the Copa Libertadores semifinals, an intense Superclásico that ended scoreless.
Scaloni Encourages Debutants to Maintain Their Club Playing Style
Lionel Scaloni addressed the integration of younger players, emphasizing that the coaching staff encourages debutants to maintain the playing style that earned them their club call-ups. Scaloni valued that the forward transferred to the National Team the characteristics he exhibits at Boca. “We ask them to do what they do in their clubs, and he does what he does in his club,” Scaloni stated.
Scaloni cautioned against placing excessive weight on the shoulders of the emerging talent. “We gave him a half, but we have to take care of him,” Scaloni said regarding Flores’s 45-minute shift at the Monumental. “They are youngsters who will give us joy. We will take them step by step and when we see the moment we will make them play.”
Flores’s performances have drawn notice from European sports outlets including AS, La Gazzetta dello Sport, and Goal. From his debut in the Xeneize first team, the 19-year-old forward has played a total of 18 matches, scoring four goals and contributing three assists. The buyout clause is exactly the same: 20 million dollars which rise to 25 if a club intends to take him with the Argentine transfer market closed.
“I know this is just starting, but I am very happy with my present,” Flores told ESPN after the Unión fixture. “I’ve been looking for this for a long time and luckily things are turning out very well.”
