River vs Boca: the final that will shake Latin America
Today will be the first match at La Bombonera, and as has been the custom since 2013 between these two teams, there will be no visitor fans
What the UEFA Champions League has not yet achieved, that Real Madrid and Barcelona play the final of the tournament, is achieved first by the Conmebol Libertadores, with the unprecedented final between possibly the two teams with the most positioning and marketing in Latin America.
Leer en español: River vs Boca: la final que impactará a América Latina
Yes, River Plate against Boca Juniors or Boca Juniors versus River Plate, a game that will paralyze a large part of the world because of the emotional charge that involves a confrontation between important rivals.
A River-Boca generates so much impact that, even the president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, in spite of the remarkable crisis that the nation is going through, announced in the first instance that both matches, would be played with both football fans, something that does not happen between these two clubs since May 2013.
The measure, which ultimately will not be fulfilled, sought to show the world that Argentina was capable of handling such a difficult situation. Some even criticized Macri, since that would have generated an unprecedented deployment of security, which, in addition, would have left Buenos Aires without officials in the street.
And such a measure will not be fulfilled because the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Claudio Tapia, as well as his counterparts in River and Boca, Rodolfo D'Onofrio and Daniel Angelici, assured that this could generate problems for the members of their clubs. teams.
For a River fan go to La Bombonera, or for one of Boca go to the Monumental, it is a serious risk to their integrity. Although what was raised by Macri sounded romantic and deserves applause, the reality is different and neither of the two most important clubs in Argentina is willing to risk their image with some regrettable act of violence or death.
Maybe you're interested in reading: River vs Boca! 6 curious facts about the great final of the Libertadores
A close precedent and not positive
There are precedents in the Copa Libertadores, although not of course, in a final. This exceeds everything. The most recent one shows us that the effervescence generated between these two teams can never be underestimated.
It was in 2015 but in the round of 16, when River triumphed 1-0 at home in the first leg, and in the return, some fans of the Xeneize table managed to get close to the tunnel of the River players and sprayed them with pepper spray. Those affected at that time were Matias Kranevitter, Ramiro Funes Mori, Leonardo Ponzio, and Leonel Vangioni.
That infamous act, not only generated the suspension of that match in La Bombonera, but the automatic classification of River to the quarters, by sanction against the xeneize squad. The team of the red band ended up reaching the final of the contest and obtaining the title over Tigre de Monterrey of Mexico.
Attention!, we are only talking about the round of 16, this time is the final series, the final step to the glory. Impossible not to think how complex it can become for Argentina's soccer environment to control the emotions of such "special" fans.
Influence in the media
The media also shows the impact that this game means to them, or rather, these two games. International channels such as ESPN and Fox Sports announced a preview of more than six hours so that the audience 'will be throbbing' the first of two superstars, as this confrontation is also known.
That does not happen even with the Champions League final, which is a single match, and whose format will be taken by the Libertadores from 2019. Do you imagine a final match between Boca and River in Santiago, Chile, Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro or Lima? , to mention just a few options. Of course, it would not be the same.
Some tv programs such as Directv Sports Total Soccer, Fox Sports Minute 90 or ESPN Out of Play, have dedicated part of their spaces to analyze and comment on the final of this year's Libertadores, something that, with the exception of Fox, which is the signal with the broadcasting rights of this event and usually gives more space to Latin American club football, it is rare taking IGNORE INTO account that its contents are mainly related to European football.
"Colombian flavor"
River and Boca are a brand, and therefore, they have followers in other regions of the world, something similar to Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester United, keeping the distances clear. An example of this is Colombia, a country that has followers of the 'xeneize' and the 'millionaire' since always, and which has now been reinforced by the presence of players like Wilmar Barrios, Edwin Cardona and Sebastián Villa in Boca, and Juan Fernando Quintero and Rafael Santos Borré in River. In short, a final with a Colombian flavor that will make this South American country live it in a special way. The letters are drawn gentlemen, hopefully, and enjoy an event with more details to celebrate than regret.
LatinAmerican Post | Onofre Zambrano
* The opinion of the editor does not represent the average
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