Youngstar...
AlanVarela
o explainhow and
whyhisteamhad
justbookedtheir
placeinthefinalof
Argentina’sLeague
Cup,20-year-old
midfielderAlanVarelaputitsimply.
“Becauseweare Boca,” he said
holdingbackthe tears,“thebest.”
Varelahadjustscored thedecisive
penaltyagainstRacingClub in the
semi-finalshootouttosetupa final
against Tigre.Ithadbeena rockyfew
monthsbutBocawerefinallypulling
rank, as theirhistorydemands.
Varelaandcompanywouldbe
crownedchampionsa fewdayslater,
runningout3-0winnersinthefinal
withgoalsfromveteran defender
Bocafindaway
towin again
BuenosAiresgiantswintheCopadelaLiga
Profesionaldespitenotbeingattheirbest
T
MarcosRojo,a piledriverfrom
Colombian left-back FrankFabraand
a routineheaderfrom 21 -year-old
centre-forwardLuisVazquez– the
finalflourish – to roundoff thevictory.
Thiswas BocaJuniors’72ndofficial
title.For coachSebastianBattaglia,
itwas his 19 thtitlewiththeclub
- countinghistimeinthe dugout
togetherwith hisroleinmidfield
duringBoca’sgoldeneraat theturn
ofthe century. With it,hesurpassed
GuillermoBarrosSchelottoasthe
club’s most successfulplayer/coach
ever.
Itwas alsoa triumphfortheclub’s
board,a fourthtitleforthedirectors
thattookoverin late 2 01 9 andare
guidedbyvice-presidentJuanRoman
Riquelme.Yet thelegendaryformer
No. 1 0 bemoanedhow littlecredithe
believes hisclubareafforded.“What
Bocaachieveisnot givenits real
value,” he claimed.
Whatistrueisthatbehindthelatest
additionto theBombonera trophy
cabinetisa somewhatnuancedstory.
ThedebateoverwhetherBocareally
werethebestsideinthecountry
rageson.
78 WORLDSOCCER
Argentina
JOELRICHARDS
