Monday, December 5, 2011

Boca Juniors clinch Apertura title

Falcioni’s team lift first trophy in three years

Soccer — Apertura tournament

Boca Juniors won the Apertura Tournament with two matches to spare when they beat Banfield 3-0 at a heaving, chanting La Bombonera stadium. Julio Falcioni’s side, unbeaten in 27 matches going back to last season, have 39 points from 17 matches.

Boca Juniors won their first Argentine league title in three years with a 3-0 victory over Banfield yesterday thanks to two goals scored by Darío Cvitanich and another from Diego Rivero.

Cvitanich gave Boca the lead in the 10th minute, slotting in a shot from five metres after a scramble in front of the net. He scored his second in the 44th, driving in a strike from a corner. Rivero sealed the win in the 47th with a 25-metre drive.

One of the most popular clubs in Argentina, Boca lead the Apertura championship on 39 points with only two matches remaining. Second-placed Racing have 28 points and Tigre could reach 30 today with a victory against San Lorenzo.

Argentina divides its league calendar into two seasons, the Apertura (the opening) and the Clausura (the closing), which wraps up in June. Boca’s last title was the 2008 Apertura championship.

Much of the credit for the turnaround has to go to coach Julio César Falcioni, who was hired from Banfield just under a year ago to replace Claudio Borghi after the club finished 20 points behind Estudiantes de La Plate in the 2010 Apertura championship.

“This is good for the club and good for the players, thanks to the players,” Falcioni said.

“Boca won the championship because it was better than everyone else,” the former goalkeeper added. “There is no doubt that we were the best.”

Boca are undefeated in 27 matches and have played much better defence this season. In 17 matches this season they have allowed only four goals.

The team have also been more effective on attack, relying on midfielders Juan Román Riquelme and Cristian Chávez, and less on the aerial game that was aimed at striker Martín Palermo, who retired after the Clausura season.

Riquelme, the fans’ favourite player, entered in the second half to a standing ovation and shouts of “Riquelme, Riquelme.” The former Barcelona player missed the last six matches with a left foot injury.

The league title is Boca’s 24th, nine behind arch rivals River Plate.

The atmosphere at La Bombondera stadium was supercharged yesterday with tight security in place. The club also held elections yesterday for the club presidency.

Also yesterday, Independiente and Newell’s Old Boys drew 1-1 at the Libertadores de América stadium in Avellaneda.

Pablo Pérez put the visitors ahead in the 17th minute, but 17-year-old Martín Benítez, who made his debut starting in the first team, equalized for Independiente in the 50th.

Newell’s accumulated 13 matches without victories. Their only win of the season was in the fourth round against Belgrano.

Independiente, unbeaten in the last five games, missed many chances to win the match, especially during the first minutes of the second half, when Patricio Rodríguez and Hernán Fredes replaced Iván Pérez and Cristian Pellerano, respectively.

However, Newell’s should have won the match but Diego Mateo’s goal a few minutes before the end was wrongly ruled out for offside.

In Córdoba, Belgrano and Godoy Cruz drew 1-1 at the Gigante de Alberdi stadium yesterday.

The hosts returned to their stadium after 15 rounds. Their last match there was against Olimpo on August 17.

César Masanelli put Ricardo Zielinski’s team ahead in the 55th, while Rubén Ramírez equalized three minutes later.

Godoy Cruz finished the game with ten players after Nicolás Olmedo was sent off in the 23rd.

On Saturday, Vélez Sársfield lost 2-0 against Atlético Rafaela and San Martín of San Juan beat Unión 2-0.

Nicolás Castro and Sebastián Carrera netted in Rafaela’s victory, while Unión won with goals scored by Sebastián Penco and Mauro Bogado.

Herald staff with agencies

117 champions

33 - River Plate; 24 - Boca Juniors; 14 - Independiente; 10 -San Lorenzo; 8 - Vélez Sársfield; 7 - Racing; 5 - Newell’s Old Boys, Estudiantes de La Plata; 4 -Rosario Central; 3 - Argentinos Juniors; 2 - Ferro Carril Oeste; 1 -Lanús, Banfield, Chacarita Juniors, Huracán, Quilmes.