Buenos Aires, Argentina

Boca Juniors head coach Abel Alves will not be able to bring back the same starting XI on Thursday for the remainder of El Superclasico. The game was postponed 8 minutes into the match due to inclement weather.

During a formal football practice on Monday, Alves suffered two important injuries on the squad, Ibarra and Morel, both outside defenders. In Ibarra's case it s most likely he will miss the match, he has a problem on his right leg and this is a re-occurring injury. In Morel's case he may be able to make the match if he is not pushed during the week.

This means trouble for Alves, who does not have a wide back to replace them either. Alves will most likely move Monzon into the wing, and place the Colombian defender, Bonilla as the center defender. If Morel is not able to make the match,then he will probably drop Gary Medel, and move Chavez into the wing.

More problems for Boca Juniors, a flooded field. Bring the crickets and this may come like the Bible story in which the great empire falls.. FLOOD, INJURIES, AND INTERNAL PROBLEMS, Boca is one step away from falling.

More problems for Alves and Boca Juniors

El Superclasico will be re-scheduled for Thursday March 25th. 82 minutes will be played, with two halves of 41 minutes each plus the additional time the referee may assign. This match has had us waiting, and we will have to wait until thursday to see the outcome.

El Superclasico has a new date

9 minutes was enough for Hector Baldassi to postpone the match. The ball was not flowing naturally, players were making mistakes and Boca almost gave up a goal when Luiz Alberto failed to clear a ball stuck in the water. This was enough for Hector Baldassi to say enough, and postpone the match. And what a decision he made, to postpone the biggest and most important match of the week without hesitating. There is a reason why he is going to the world cup.

Both captains (Palermo and Gallardo) tried to convince the ref of doing otherwise,but it was in vane. We could read into Gallardo's lips "If you end this now, there is going to be trouble", Palermo said "We can play this", but the decision remained put.

We will have to wait until a decision is made in regards to the date of the match, and all fans will have to wait until then to celebrate. It was the perfect atmosphere for the battle, and to have one fallen, but this time the one who fell was not Boca nor River, it was the ball, that sits floating on a puddle in the center of the field.

El Superclasico postponed due to weather

El Superclasico : Boca Juniors vs. River Plate preview

Buenos Aires, Argentina - March 20, 2010

Lineups

Boca: Garcia, Ibarra, Luiz Alberto, Munoz, Morel Rodriguez, Medel, Mendez, Gimenez, Riquelme, Palermo, Gaitan

River: Vega, Ferrari, Ferrero, Cabral, Diaz, Rojas, Ahumada, Almeyda, Gallardo, Funes Mori, Canales

Preview

This has been a rough week for Boca Juniors, as previously stated on my last article "A week from Hell for Boca Juniors" . And things got even worse during the week when a group from "La 12" showed up to training and threatened players with heave consequences if they did not win the match. Added to this, we had the cross declarations between Riquelme and Abel Alves. Riquelme held a press conference denying what was said in the press, however, he stated this could be his last season with Boca Juniors. Riquelme has a poor relationship with the management, and the number 1 candidate to be head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto does not get along with him, and said that he would not return to the club while Riquelme is still there.

While in Boca Juniors everything is trouble and controversy, River Plate is going through smooth times. Leonardo Astrada confirmed the squad midweek, with only one substitution, Gustavo Cabral (re appears after a knee injury) for Nicolas Sanchez. Astrada arrives into this match with confidence, he knows both clubs are hurt, but believes in his team and wants to take advantage of the defensive problems of Boca Juniors.

Facts

Several players will make their official debut in the Superclasico: Luiz Alberto, Medel, Mendez, Gimenez, Ferrero, Diaz, Rojas, Funes Mori and Canales.

The match will be reffed by Hector Baldassi (representative of Argentina in the World Cup in South Africa 2010).

In case Boca is defeated, they will not fall into the last position, because Estudiantes defeated Atletico Tucuman, however they will only be 3 points away, and they will need to face the needy Chacarita Juniors next match.

The away tickets for River Plate were sold out in 2 minutes (4,000 tickets) through ticketek, a new record in Argentina.

The game will have a serious police check, with more than 3,000 officials at the game.

This is a promising match, and no matter what the result is, it will most likely affect one squad. Stay tuned for more information.

• A week from Hell for Boca Juniors


• Memorable Superclasico Goals: Maradona makes his mark

• Memorable Superclasico Goals: Rojas buries Boca


• Memorable Superclasico Goals: Palermo Returns

El Superclasico: Preview

Boca Juniors legend Diego Maradona (Wikimedia)

There are instances that change a rivalry. There are goals that mark a generation. There are players that make history. Whether you like of dislike Diego Maradona there is one thing you cannot deny- he was a player for the ages.

Whether it was that innocent little boy on video telling people how his dream was to win the World Cup or that obese man that could barely catch his breath at La Bombonera during his tribute match, he always made headlines. What he did with his left foot and right hand or what came out of his mouth, he was always in the radar and tended to change the rules of the game as he went.

The early 80's saw Boca and River in similar situations. While River Plate won titles at home Boca won abroad. The turn of the decade saw the Xeneizes in economic problems and they began to tail off by the

In the months and weeks leading to the beginning of the season, both River and Boca found themselves in a dogfight over the young Argentinos Juniors star. River had the money but Maradona had the desire to go to Boca regardless of their economic perils. So in the end Maradona went to Boca on a loan spell with an option to buy and he would make history with the side he so dearly loved.

Maradona coming into the match was recovering from a muscle strain that had been affecting him for weeks. The club remedied the problem by injecting him in order to keep him functioning during the time. The injection would not be enough as he would be forced out of action for three weeks, but would be ready for the Superclásico a few days later.

If you look at the stat sheet for the game, and people would say that Miguel Ángel Brindisi was the star of the match as he scored a brace. In the end it was Maradona whow took all the accolades because he set up the play and was the primary reason why Brindisi was so successful in that match.

Despite this performance, the goal that changed the game and marked an era at Boca was Maradona's goal. It was sort of symbolic as he faced the nucleus of the 1978 World Cup-winning side, a side he was left off by national team coach César Luis Menotti. River was the national team's nucleus during that World Cup run. River had players like Ubaldo Fillol, René Houseman, Norberto Alonso, Américo Gallego, Daniel Passarella, and Mario Kempes. It was his way of showing his worthiness as well as the rest his team's. One has to remember that Menotti used the nucleus of River Plate.

So for him to receive the ball in the box, juke Fillol and leaving him on the ground sprawling. Alberto Tarantini would come back in vain as he, too, would be left on the ground and Maradona netted the ball for the final nail in the River coffin. His goal was a message to Menotti stating that he was still (to this day) bitter about that exclusion.

He would nail Fillol once again to the back of the net with an incredible goal off a free kick at El Monumental. He would last a few more months with Boca after they crash out of the Nacional tournament and then had to report for national team duty. Prior to the World Cup, he would sign with Barcelona and the rest is history.

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Memorable Superclásico goals: Maradona makes his mark

When Boca’s followers believed they had hit rock bottom, Juan Roman Riquelme and company decided the prove everyone that they were wrong, there is still more ground for the fall. The week previous to the Superclasico always brings out the best and the worst from each club, and it’s not the exception for Boca Juniors, who seems to be having a week from hell. Will they hit rock bottom on Sunday?

Everything started on Sunday, when Boca Juniors visited Tigre. The team coached by Abel Alves was outplayed in every line and returned home empty handed, after giving up three to Carlos Luna. (Boca is currently the team with the most goals against, 18 goals in 9 matches). After the game Boca’s followers demanded a win on Sundays game against River Plate.

After the game Alves held a press conference in which he stated that he was disappointed with the performance of team and concerned in particular with the attitude that the team displays in every match. This infuriated many players in the team, including Juan Roman Riquelme and Martin Palermo, two names that have a huge backing from the followers. Both are still upset at Alves after he decided to wipe both Roberto Abbondanzieri and Hugo Ibarra from the squad. Alves mentioned that Riquelme is not a good example for the youngsters coming up, “I can accept the fact that Riquelme may not run in practice, but I cannot have Gaitan doing the same” said Alves.

Rumors state that Alves tried to exclude both Palermo and Riquelme from the team that will host River on Sunday, but was stopped by the board. It is probably not a smart decision to head into this match without them two, the fans would go crazy if Boca loses the game and Riquelme and Palermo watch it from the stands. But nobody assured that they would remain in the squad after the “Superclasico”. Alves’ main plan is to clear the path for the next coach; part of the process is to let go of some players like Hugo Ibarra, Juan Roman Riquelme, Prediger and Palermo.

To add more fuel into the fire, the former Colombia International and Boca Juniors idol Jorge “El Patron” Bermudez gave his opinion about the situation of Boca Juniors. Bermudez is not someone who holds his opinion. During a recent interview with Espn Deportes , Bermudez said “There needs to be a change soon. The team has no structure; and this is something that was carried from the Basile era”. Bermudez openly criticized Matias Gimenez, for not wanting to play in the reserves as well as Gabriel Paletta for not wanting to travel as a substitute. Bermudez also mentioned that the team needs to change its attitude for the better of the institution. He concluded the interview by saying that he feels he is ready to coach the team.

The board has one name to succeed Abel Alves next semester, Guillermo Barros Schelotto. However, Guillermo said that he will not coach the team as long as Riquelme is part of the squad. This is not the first time these two have problems, this goes back to the times in which Carlos Bianchi was head coach.

The main problem right now seems to be Juan Roman Riquelme. He was excluded of F.C. Barcelona, he had issues with Manuel Pellegrini at Villarreal and with Diego Maradona in the National team. My question is, who is the problem? Riquelme? or Pellegrini, Maradona and Alves? Clearly Riquelme has been questioned through his career, and most falls into his attitude.

Boca entered the week from hell, and Sunday they can find themselves at the bottom of the league table if Atletico Tucuman wins and they don't defeat River. This will most likely not result in the resignation of Abel Alves, but it will create a hard situation for the historic players. Boca did not participate in the Libertadores this semester, and is out of the chase for the league title. Oh and things can get worse, visit Simply Futbol for more information this week.

A week from Hell for Boca Juniors