Photo: Wikimedia Commons (free licence), cropped and styled by SportNestra — author and licence
Boca Juniors endured a “dark night” at a crucial point in its Copa Sudamericana campaign. The team needed to take an advantage into the final in Brazil and approach it with greater confidence, but its performance was marked by haste and tactical decisions described as uninspired. Its opponent, with a measure of experience, was able to exploit those weaknesses.
The absence of important players in the buildup also weighed on the team. Boca then became caught up in urgency and inaccuracies. The decision to start Enner Valencia, who reportedly had yet to adapt to Boca, and leave Miguel Merentiel on the bench despite his strong recent form was described as surprising.
After the defeat, Vasco acknowledged: “The match was difficult for us.” The night makes Boca’s task harder ahead of the final, which it must pursue in Brazil. The club has nevertheless written many memorable chapters in cup competitions there.
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