28/07/2026 04:49 - Deportes
On Sunday, July 26, 2026, Boca Juniors—one of Argentina's most historic and popular football clubs—suffered a painful 3-0 defeat against Deportivo Riestra (a humble club from Buenos Aires known as 'El Malevo') at the Estadio Guillermo Laza. This opening match of the Torneo Clausura (the second championship of the Argentine football season) saw goals from Braian Sánchez (7' into the first half), Antony Alonso (23'), and Alexander Díaz (37'), leaving a scoreline that reminded fans of a similar 3-0 debut loss against Quilmes back in 2012.
The head coach, Rodolfo 'Vasco' Arruabarrena, had fielded a team with seven changes from the previous match, resting key players for a decisive Copa Sudamericana tie. However, the team's poor performance raised many questions, forcing the coach to face the press.
During the post-match press conference, Arruabarrena did not hesitate to make a deep self-criticism: 'It is a hard blow, a reality check. I am the one responsible for the defeat; we have to bow our heads and work.'
He also used a striking phrase to describe the team's mood in the locker room: 'The locker room is a graveyard, and that is fine, it should hurt. But tomorrow we have to start working for the match against O'Higgins. There is no time for regrets.'
The coach also expressed his concern over the team's lack of reaction in the second half: 'I am left with the feeling that we could have played 60 more minutes and still wouldn't have been able to get through. We are Boca and we must generate more; we didn't have that desire to go for the goal.'
Given this scenario, Arruabarrena made a drastic decision: he did not grant the team a day off on Monday, July 27, ordering a morning practice at the Predio de Ezeiza (Boca's training facility) to start planning the key match on Thursday, July 30 against O’Higgins in Chile. This match is the return leg of the Copa Sudamericana playoffs (South America's equivalent to the UEFA Europa League).
The first leg, played at the iconic La Bombonera stadium, was won by Boca 1-0 with a goal by Miguel Merentiel and an assist from Leandro Paredes (who recently returned from vacation and has already joined training). The coach is expected to rely on the core starting eleven that secured that victory.
The main medical concern is Colombian goalkeeper Álvaro Montero, who left the pitch with discomfort after a collision with Marco Pellegrino. Despite this, everything indicates he will be fit for Thursday's clash.
Arruabarrena is also closely monitoring the recovery of several injured players: Leandro Lozano, Tomás Belmonte, Milton Giménez, Carlos Palacios, and Adam Bareiro (who is suffering from a lumbar discopathy, a spinal disc issue).
The return of players like Nicolás Figal, Ayrton Costa, Sebastián Villa, and youth prospects Tomás Aranda and Dylan Gorosito to the starting lineup is a strong possibility for the match in Chile, aiming to overturn the bad image and secure qualification. As a curious anecdote from the match, it was reported that Riestra's captain, Milton Céliz, made a provocative gesture towards Boca's bench during the pre-game warm-up.
Source: Imago Deportes
Alfredo S. Quiroga
