Quintero steals the show
Colombian proves a game-changing sub
The choice of Madrid as the emergency venue of the 2018 Final could hardly have been more politically insensitive, provoking a predictably angry reaction – much of it justified, some of it pure hypocrisy. Veteran Boca striker Carlos Tevez, for example, complained: “We have been robbed of the dream of doing the lap of honour in River’s stadium.”
But he is surely well aware that, after the incidents of November 24 in Buenos Aires, had the game taken place at River in front of a crowd, Boca would not have turned up – and justifiably so.
The most flagrant breach of the regulations would have been for River Plate to go unpunished. This made it extremely hard to think of a way in which the game could have gone ahead in Argentina. Played behind closed doors – a policing nightmare – would have been the only solution.
But River are claiming that they have no responsibility for the action of their fans. And Boca, in an exaggerated payback for 2015, argue that River should be disqualified. The lack of any conception of a concept of common good was yet another argument for taking the game elsewhere.
Madrid stepped in, and CONMEBOL breathed a huge sigh of relief. The Spanish capital would take responsibility for security arrangements. And cashstrapped CONMEBOL would have some content to supply to all of those around the world who had bought the TV rights. The game would go ahead in a magnificent stadium, with atmosphere guaranteed. For all the criticisms of lack of authenticity, this would be a match watched by two sets of supporters – something that has not happened in Argentina for six years.
And in purely footballing terms, there was something entirely fitting about staging the occasion in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. The Libertadores was South America’s response to the success of the European Cup – an idea which could have been premature, but which worked in large part as a consequence of the superb football played by Real Madrid, whose team was built around Alfredo Di Stefano.
The last and the greatest product of Argentinian football’s 1940s golden age, Di Stefano made his name playing for River Plate. And, the first team he coached in Argentina was Boca Juniors. And so it was appropriate that the two Buenos Aires giants met on the field graced by Di Stefano – and just as appropriate that a Colombian, Juan Quintero,
ended up stealing the show.
in between playing for river plate and changing the course of european history with real Madrid, di stefano was lured north to bogota, where he was the main man in a magnificent Millonarios side who did so much to ensure a successful launch for the Colombian league.
Colombia swooped when argentina’s players went on strike, with lots of big names being lured north to the new, high-paying championship. With di stefano playing the lead role, they left a legacy of imaginative and artistic passing football – and a worthy inheritor of the tradition ended up winning the 2018 Libertadores for river plate.
For a long time, though, it looked as if boca would prevail. river were badly missing the mobility of another Colombian, suspended striker rafael santos borre. While river’s attack looked static, boca could sit deep and look to launch the counter attack. and they deservedly took the lead by that route shortly before half time, when Nahitan Nandez split the opposition defence for dario benedetto to produce a classy piece of movement and finishing.
it seemed set up for boca to pick off their rivals on the break in the second half. but they were surely too passive – which was to cost them the game and ultimately cost coach Guillermo barros schelotto his job.
Just after the hour, benedetto was substituted. returning from long-term injury, he had been used to great effect as a late substitute in the previous games, but now as a starter he was unlikely to last the 90 minutes. However, maybe he was withdrawn too soon and boca’s attack lost its focal point.
the body language on the bench seemed to suggest that boca believed they were almost home and dry – but just four minutes earlier river had gambled in taking off holding midfielder Leonardo ponzio and bringing on Colombian playmaker Quintero.
Like a figure stepping out of the pages of an old black-and-white football annual, Quintero can seem to belong to a bygone age. but 2018 had been a wonderful year for the left-footed playmaker, who rediscovered his focus after a period in the wilderness. His ability to see and play the pass changed the game and his prompting from deep allowed attacking midfielder Nacho Fernandez to push higher. a Quintero plant, a quick exchange between Fernandez and exequiel palacios, and the boca defence was opened up. Lucas pratto swept home – and from that point, boca were hanging on.
at the start of extra-time boca lost holding midfielder Wilmar barrios to a second yellow card, and with space opening up Quintero took control before finding the room to fire home from the edge of the area.
His goal set up an insane last 12 minutes. down to nine after Fernando Gago snapped an achilles tendon, boca strove for an equaliser to take the game to penalties. Centre-backs became centre forwards, and keeper esteban andrada was spending much of his time in the opposing penalty area. Leo Jara even glanced a post with a shot.
but it was no surprise when they were caught, and Quintero slipped Gonzalo Martinez to race away and seal the historic victory in the biggest boca-river game of all time...unless, of course, boca win the day in the Court of arbitration for sport, where they are pushing for river’s disqualification.
Like a figure stepping out of the pages of an old black-and-white football annual, Quintero can seem to belong to a bygone age