A truly high-tension classic took place at Bombonera yesterday, where Boca Juniors could not beat Racing and said goodbye to the Clausura Tournament. The atmosphere was one of an early final: both knew that it was the previous step to the duel that will take place next Saturday in Santiago del Estero against the winner of the La Plata classic that Gimnasia and Estudiantes will play today. This is how the local people understood it, with the added bonus of knowing that in front of them was a classic team that they always want to beat.
That is why it was not strange that the whistle was widespread when the visiting soccer players jumped onto the Bombonera playing field, with Marcos Rojo and Agustín Almendra to the head. There was a certain indifference and even some isolated applause, in the first instance, for the defender. For the midfielder who emerged from the blue and gold quarry, there were gestures and disapprovals of all kinds from the warm-up. Rojo was given a framed t-shirt for his time at the institution, but he still left whistled when he got lost in the sleeve after pre-competitive exercises.
“To be champion, today you have to win”sounded before the match from all four sides. The departure of the teams emulated that of the 90s, as in the previous match. This time there was no rain of paper, but of streamers. Also a curtain show: one dedicated to Leandro Paredes and the three that were being cabal with the image of Diego Armando Maradona. On the playing field, a message to the rest: “The only great one”. To close, La 12 displayed a giant historic flag with the motto “They may imitate us, but they will never equal us.”
As the start of the match was delayed due to the number of streamers that continued to fall to the grass from the three South trays, the fans took the opportunity to focus on who was going to kick off: Agustín Almendra. “He who does not jump is a traitor”they sang to him. On the substitute bench, Marcos Rojo started laughing.
7′ PT: The game was stopped for several minutes due to an infraction by Maravilla Martínez against Ayrton Costa, who remained lying on the floor. There was practically no play and not to mention goal situations.
12′ PT: The people get up for a pipe from Zeballos and a recovery from Paredes, who receives a foul. Before, there was a dispute between Milton Giménez and García Basso under the nose of the linesman, who calmed them down to avoid warnings.
17′ PT: Another foul against Paredes, who serves quickly to speed up the game. Darío Herrera forces him to redo it because the ball was in motion, something that exasperates people. Paredes joins his palms and raises them in a gesture of disapproval for the referee.
25′ PT: The first exclamation from the local people is for a center passed with the right from Lautaro Blanco to Milton Giménez, which does not arrive with a header. It all started with a deep ball from Paredes.
31′ PT: Paredes shoots from mid-range and the ball bounces off Palacios and goes outside. They both hold their faces in lamentation. Boca can’t find a game and Úbeda is impatient, watching the game stand still.
35′ PT: Palacios puts together a good personal play and goes deep into the area for Milton Giménez, who is easily moved and the play is diluted. The forward reproaches the referee, but people ask him for a little more.
41′ PT: Nardoni steps into the area and finishes. The ball brushes the stick and goes outside. There was a second of dead silence in the Bombonera for that chance.
43′ PT: Kick from Mura to Changuito Zeballos. The public asks for expulsion, but the yellow is correct. Paredes and Blanco also tease the referee, who does not change his mind.
48′ PT: The last of the first half is a free kick by Paredes that cannot be controlled by Ayrton Costa at the far post and then almost ends in a carom goal by Milton Giménez.
3′ ST: El Changuito Zeballos rehearses a couple of explosive spikes that make the fans rise. In parallel, Palacios generates a couple of losses that make many complain about him.
8′ ST: Racing maintains possession of the ball, advances up the field and even arrives with ease. Rojas steps into the area with Boca out of position and almost converts. For the first time, the entire field rises because the fans seek to make their own people react: “And come on, Boca, we can’t lose, and come on, Boca, you have to win…”.
10′ ST: What was a counterattack in favor of Boca ends with poor control by Giménez, which again leads to the displeasure of all the fans. In his favor, he receives an infraction for which Colombo is reprimanded.
14′ ST: Almendra sends a free throw into nowhere and earns whistles from the entire stadium.
16′ ST: All Racing is going up in smoke to the judge for the yellow card that Barinaga gets for a foul on Vergara. They understood that he was the last man and avoided a clear scoring opportunity. Darío Herrera quickly pointed out Milton Delgado, who could close down the Colombian in that play, and justified his decision.
21′ ST: Ovation from the Boca public for Ayrton Costa, who won the ball and went on the attack due to the lack of performers to break the lines. But Racing comes out against it, ending with a good collective play with an erratic finish from Maravilla Martínez after a volley.
26′ ST: Úbeda calls Velasco to move the bank. When the fourth referee raises the sign and the fans see that the 7 (Zeballos) comes out, the most important gesture of disapproval of a variant in recent times occurs. Nobody on the field understands why the coach would take out Changuito, who at that point seemed to be the only one who would generate some danger. Paredes, in the middle of the field, also makes gestures and gestures of disagreement with the decision of the coaching staff.
28′ ST: Costa wins new applause for winning a ball that seemed lost and advancing the team in attack. Quite the opposite happens with Milton Giménez, who loses another division and once again exasperates the Boca sympathizers.
30′ ST: Racing goal. The stadium goes silent for a few seconds and everyone in the Academy celebrates. Agustín Almendra’s surgeon’s pass was key for Rojas to beat Barinaga and center perfectly for the arrival of Maravilla Martínez, who beat Costa like a bulldozer and went out to celebrate. “Tonight, whatever the cost, tonight we have to win,” people react.
38′ ST: Boca does not find football or emotional reactions. The first considerable “uhhh” of the night was generated by an overflow by Merentiel with a center parallel to the goal line that crosses the entire area. The minutes pass and Úbeda does not make changes, which unnerves many plateistas.
41′ ST: Maravilla fouls Paredes near the center circle and the fans try to push for the free kick: “And give it Bo, and give it Bo.” However, the center goes to the head of Giménez who hands it to Cambeses. The 9 was paired with a rival defender.
45′ ST: The referee adds six minutes and Merentiel wins a corner. That route seems to be the only one with which Boca can reach a tie. Úbeda sends Battaglia onto the field for Delgado. It surprises more than one that Paredes does not run to send the corner kick but rather Lautaro Blanco does it. The action, during the added time, is repeated once more without success in execution.
50′ ST: As the visiting bank delayed making the last modification, Herrera added two extra minutes. Boca wants to, but doesn’t know how. Racing, well off, clings to victory.
53′ ST: End of the match. Total madness on the visiting bench, with Gustavo Costas and his son ejected in search of hugging the field players. While the group of albiceleste footballers is nourished, those from Boca are gathering at midfield, heads down, before waving towards La 12 and being recognized with lukewarm applause. “Even if you win or lose, I don’t give a shit, I’m still Bostero, because I love Boca,” you hear. In Úbeda, before reaching the tunnel, they do reprove him with several whistles and some isolated insults from the lower audience.
As a farewell, the Boca fans sing a song dedicated to the Academy with the rhythm of Matador from Los Fabulosos Cadillacs in which the chorus says “Racing button, Racing button”. Far from being intimidated, the soccer players and academic coaching staff take as a reference the accompaniment of the song on the bass drums, cymbals and trumpets, but they take ownership of the verses and sing the one that is typical of their team: “You have to be champion, this is the year, you laying the groundwork and I’m cheering, it’s been a long time since I’ve wanted to turn around, this year Academy you can’t let me down, let’s go Acadé, let’s go Acadé.” The racing party continued for several hours and will be eternal if it is consecrated in Santiago del Estero next Saturday.
