Boca Juniors go into Sunday’s Argentinean Classic against River Plate with a game-in-hand and a 4 pt. advantage over their red-and-white arch-rivals. Boca pulled off an epic victory over an inspired Velez side at the weekend, while River Plate tied 1-1 to mid-table team Belgrano.   

 

Velez came out and stunned the home crowd of La Bombonera by scoring two unanswered goals in the 1st half. While both teams created early chances, Velez scored their first goal in the 28th min. Defender, Maximiliano Pellegrino gave Velez the lead when he was rewarded forward for the corner-kick, with a thundering header past the Boca keeper.

 

Boca were punished again on the second goal for slack defending, as Mauro Zarate snuck into a great poaching position to glance in a header past the Boca keeper, inside the back post.

 

Controversy then ensued as Mauro Zarate simulated receiving an elbow, which resulted in a red-card for Boca defender, Juan Krupoviesa in the 40th min—the sending off electrified Boca’s play in the closing minutes before half-time.

 

Boca played some great attacking combination play having gone down a man, and Palermo came close to pulling one back, with a header that was saved by the Velez keeper.

 

Boca came out and continued to press Velez and was rewarded in the 57th min. when Fabian Cubero received a red-card for a tackle from behind on Martin Palermo. Boca finally pulled one back in the 70th min. when Fernando Gago ripped an incredible right-footed blast the screamed past the keeper and sent the Boca faithful into a frenzy.

 

Rodrigo Palacio then did the incredible with a brace of goals in the 76th and 89th min. to snatch victory for Boca. His first goal showed excellent touch and strength, as he settled, played himself in from a long chip, and bodied off a defender to strike past the helpless keeper. His second goal was another clinical finish from a tireless and prolific Boca attack. Velez then added insult to injury as they had another player sent-off in the final minute.

Boca Juniors continued their winning ways as they defeated Estudiantes in a high-power octane match that saw both the first and second place teams face off against each other in the early stages of the 2006 Apertura.

 

Boca, playing at home in La Bombonera, kept the clean sheet glowing white as they remain undefeated with the maximum 15 points from 5 games.

 

Boca striker, Palacio opened the scoring in the first half as he reacted quickest to a scramble ball after Palermo kept alive a Boca corner with a towering header at the back post that deflected to the feet of the opportunistic, rat-tail striker, who pounced and scored on Estudiantes’ goal-mouth doorstep.

 

Estudiantes then lost their cool as coach, ex-Argentine International, Diego Simeone, was show the red card at half-time. The red cards continued in the second half as Estudiantes lost two players to red cards and kept Veron’s fightback modest at best. Palermo then added a second to secure the victory to the delight of the Boca faithful.

 

The storied team from Buenas Aires has now defeated both Independiente and Estudiantes, teams near the top of the table, and look to keep the streak alive against Gimnasia la Plata, which starts off a string of games against lower sides of the Argentine domestic league.

 

Palacio continued his scoring ways in mid-week for Boca as they are currently playing Sao Paulo in the Recopa, which pits the winner of the Copa Sudamericana (Boca) against the winner of the Copa Libertadores (Sao Paulo). Boca fought back at La Bombonera to win the first leg 2-1 with a brace from Palacio and hope to secure another trophy this upcoming week as they travel to Brazil for the second leg.

 

At this rate, Boca is poised to match the likes of undefeated Arsenal, but too many games remain to really set the table for this type of venture. Anyway, on current form, Boca would give the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona a serious run for their money.

He’s back! Martin Palermo has returned to Boca Juniors and a celebration of dominance and goal scoring has put Boca back on the World Football Dominance Matrix. 

 

He is inspiring performances that recall his single handed defeat of European Champions Real Madrid many moons ago.  He has brought back the Midas touch, and everything he touches turns to goals.

 

Boca has welcomed him back from his European exile and drought, and they are looking to make it three Argentine League Championships in a row.  Martin has just fired in a hat-trick in the 7-1 demolition of San Lorenzo last week’s Week 4 fixture.  Boca sits on the top of the table undefeated with the maximum twelve points and many goals in their cookie-bag.

 

Next up is Estudiantes, who have also started out well, with their return of another Argentine great, Juan Sebastian Veron, and are tied for second just behind Independiente.

 

Martin will be looked for once again to provide the finishing touches. Something I am sure he still dreams to do for the National Team.  Perhaps his former coach, Basile, who is leaving Boca for the National Team will give him a call.

Argentina reminded the world of their quality today as they put 6 past a totally dismantled Serbia & Montenegro. The industry of the early goals and total mastery of the rest have even the great Argentine—Maradona, himself—celebrating the beauty of Argentine Football.

Maxi Rodriquez struck first in the 6th min. with a wonderful out-step right footed strike as Saviola played a perfectly weighted pass from the right wing, rewarding Rodriquez for his strong off the ball run into the box. Rodriquez was rewarded again (in the 41st min.) with his 2nd—Argentina’s 3rd—as he followed up on an unbelievable play, orchestrated by Saviola, who stripped the left back and dribbled past another defender to set-up for a shot that the keeper could only deflect to Rodriquez.

It was in between the Maxi goals where Argentina really showed what they are all about. Sustained possession and neat triangular passing from defense-to-midfield-and-vice-versa-and-back-again must have gotten the Serbia & Montenegro side dizzy because when Argentina finally pushed forward to end off the move, Saviola, Crespo, and Cambiasso combined so well that the move ended with a heel pass from Crespo inside the box, setting up Cambiasso’s goal.

After the break, Argentina came out looking for more goals. Crespo was rewarded by substitute—teenage sensation—Lionel Messi in the 80th min. as the No. 9 striker added to his World Cup tally with a back post finish from Messi’s goal-mouth cross. Carlos Tevez another 2nd half substitute showed his individual brilliance as he megged and powered past two defenders to bury in the right corner past the distraught keeper in the 85 min. To put the icing on the cake, Messi finished off another intricate move combined by Requilme, Tevez, Crespo, as Messi slotted past the keeper on his near post in the 89th min.

Goalasos-upon-Goalasos.