Superclásico 2010: La Previa

By: Christian | March 19th, 2010

This Sunday marks another edition of the Superclásico, the most important fixture in the Primera and one of the most famous in world football. Even more so than that other famous clásico also taking place this Sunday across the Atlantic between Manchester United and Liverpool, this rivalry will produce one of the greatest spectacles one is ever likely to see in any sport. Unfortunately, unlike that European matchup, Sunday’s game will be different in one important way – aside from pride, there will be nothing to play for.

Both River Plate and Boca are in the middle of a terrible 2010. Neither team is playing the in Copa Libertadores, both are far from qualifying for the second-rate Copa Sudamericana, River are flirting with relegation and Boca are only three points from the bottom of the league. None of that will matter for fans during the 90 minutes this Sunday, but it is another sad reminder of the state of River and of football in general in Argentina.

With that said, there is still pride at stake here, and a win over los bosteros would easily salvage something from this otherwise forgettable season. Here’s a quick preview.

Why River Should Win

La banda is coming off a 2-0 win over Huracán this past week, which helped take some of the pressure off manager Leo Astrada. It was hardly convincing, but as Astrada said this week to the press, whereas the goal of River used to be win AND play attractive football, now it is enough just to win, regardless of how. Comments like that may hurt, but it’s the truth these days around the Monumental. If River win ugly on Sunday, I doubt you’ll hear many complaints.

Boca meanwhile are so bad this season that they make River look good. They lie only 3 points above the bottom of the table, their manager Abel Alves is under fire and might not last past Sunday, and Juan Román Riquelme is suggesting that this will be his last Superclásico after his contract ends this summer. Boca are coming off a miserable 3-2 loss to Tigre last week, and they hold the record for most goals allowed thus far this season with 18.

So Boca should be ripe for the taking, yes? Read on:

Why River Will (Hopefully Not) Lose

A little trivia – When was the last time River defeated Boca in the Bombonera? The answer? It was so long ago, that Leo Astrada, our current manager, was still a player on the team! Yes, you would have to go all the way back to the 2004 Clausura when River won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Fernando Cavenaghi, and with Astrada sitting on the bench. Since then, River have drawn twice and lost twice.

And as for that weak Boca defense allowing all those goals, that means little to River seeing how they have only scored 8 this season, with only San Lorenzo, Rosario Central, and Atlético Tucumán scoring fewer. Only two River players have scored more than once (Gustavo Canales and Paulo Ferrari), the later of which is a defender.

Then there is the matter of Martín Palermo. The aging Boca striker is only one goal away from becoming that team’s leading scorer of all time, and he has a golden opportunity to achieve that record in a Superclásico, at home no less. River’s defense is hardly a fortress around goal, and Palermo’s size and experience will give the back four a headache all match as he looks to stick it to River.

As always, I remain confident that River will leave it all out on the pitch and give us fans a deserved victory. I know that stats ultimately mean nothing when it comes to a Superclásico, and that regardless of how the team performs the rest of the season, they always come with a little extra against Boca. They did it in the summer, now let’s see them do it when it counts.

Vamo’ River, A Ganar Sí o Sí!!!