Global Courant 2023-05-06 16:51:37
River was sweeping the League and Boca was shipwrecked at the bottom of the table, but the win at the Maracaná and the arrival of Almirón gave a twist to the duel this Sunday.
That soccer forecasts are not worth it is a truth of Perogrullo. And less in a Superclásico between River and Boca. But the game is so attractive, so many external factors are involved beyond the technical and physical abilities of the players, which seem to serve some approximation data. Until 10 or 12 days ago when River impressed with its devastating streak of eight consecutive wins and no goals against and swept the top of the championship while Boca struggled in a dangerous crisis and navigated the last places 18 points behind in the League tournament it could have been thought that only that mystery surrounding the exclusive circumstances of this match could have saved it from a catastrophic defeat…
But -suddenly- the winds changed. In Boca, Riquelme decided to hire a coach who was not part of his routine of calling former teammates in a club that since his arrival has become just that: a club of ex-soccer players. This is how Jorge Almirón arrived, an experienced coach who -although he did not repeat that great Lanús campaign of previous years in his subsequent performances- knows how to impose a style of play (which Boca lacked, beyond the titles achieved in these three years old) and worries intensely in training. In a few days, that hint of improvement in performance was noticed. The surprising tactical variant of including Advíncula (who had been questioned) in an offensive position with the support of a wing marker (Weigandt) had an effect. Because the Peruvian became “scorer” with two “left-footed” goals, his less skilled leg. But the most noticeable was the change in terms of dynamics that improved backed by a greater commitment from the protagonists.
Boca celebrated in Chile.
Does this slight lift from Boca, confirmed with the good victory against Colo Colo, in Chile, for the Copa Libertadores, makes him a favorite, then? And more after the resounding win that River received (5-1) against Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro for that same tournament? To believe it would seem an unacceptable naivety in football. That it is played in the enlarged and beautiful Monumental stadium does not seem like a decisive topic either. It is worth, of course, the encouragement of the public without opposition from the rival. But Boca came to lose three consecutive games in his impregnable? candy box Do the “secrets” that the technicians hide about formations and tactics play their part? Up there just. Soccer continues to be “dynamic of the unthinkable” as that great journalist Dante Panzeri once defined it. Of course, the best ones usually win more, individually or collectively, but psychological factors or chance blows participate with assiduous frequency. That is why this sports game is so unpredictable and exciting.
River was thrashed by the Maracana. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
River was sweeping here and received a win in the Cup. Boca was shipwrecked at the bottom of the table and had no game plan until Almirón appeared and gave it some impetus. The winds have changed, it is true. But it is not a guarantee of anything. The Superclásico has its own codes. Unique. And impenetrable.
