On July 31, when he was beaten by Patronato in Paraná, everyone believed that the championship would be a chimera for Mouth. It was the fifth game of Hugo Ibarra in front of the campus. The wound from the removal of the Liberators in view of Corinthiansalso with Sebastiano Battaglia on the bench, and the expulsion of captain Carlos Izquierdoz continues to make noise. At that point, the name of Sergio Romero Replace Agostino Rossiwhich had rejected the renewal offer as insufficient. They were moments of internal hatching.
However, everything has changed since the date 12, as if that number that identifies Boca so much was a talisman. 2 to 1 against Platense in a fiery Bombonerawho was willing to challenge her players, 14 games have gone by to this identical result against Aldosivi, ten for the Professional League and two for the Argentina Cup. There were 11 wins and 3 draws, eight in the league, two in the vernacular tournament. Y to occupy the 13th place in the standings, he passed to the first place. In addition, he qualified for the semi-finals of the national trophy, an instance in which he will have to face… yes, Patronato, the rival who seemed to push him into the abyss and was the starting point for his take-off.
In just 72 days, Boca went from Devoto to glory, the opposite of the old popular axiom. The numbers are final. It took 34 points out of 42, an effectiveness of 85.71%. If the entire Ibarra cycle is revised, it reaches 73.6%. Today, comparing the number of games and the points obtained, he is the coach with the best record in the history of xeneize – even if his path is very short, of course -. In 8 of those 14 matches in which Negro is undefeated, Agustín Rossi finished with the fence undefeated. And there was another, against the Agropecuario for the Argentine Cup, in which Javier García also held zero in his bow.
If we were left alone with these extraordinary figures, we would be talking about a team without discussion. The problem is that when you look at performance, I work for the fundamentalists of form. From July 31 to today, all the games won by Boca have been with the slightest difference: Platense (2 to 1), Agropecuario (1 to 0), Defense and Justice (1 to 0), Atlético Tucumán (2 to 1), Colón (2 to 1), River (1 to 0), Lanús (1 to 0), Godoy Cruz (1 to 0), Quilmes (3 to 2), Vélez (1 to 0) and Aldosivi (2 to 1). And the trilogy of draws ended 0-0 (with Racing, Rosario Central and Huracán).
The brief result indicates that he has nothing left, beyond his individual hierarchy. And also, that he has great physical and surrogate stamina. Of the 11 games won in these 72 days, 7 scored goals in the second half. And with the exception of the clash with the Mendoza, despite the casualties of his selected players and some injuries, he has never shone. Although this does not appear to be a problem, according to statements by Darío Benedetto.
“They are like. We have this Boca who won. The way we play is giving us results. Then, like it or not … It is not up to us”, declared the scorer after the victory against Aldosivi who unmasked a reality: the leader of the tournament won by decantation, more the result of two unforced errors than of the football proposal. He seemed to remember that phrase of Totò Lorenzo: “Who wants chiches, go to the toy store“.
Therefore, What is the secret of this Boca? We will have to look for them in their individualities. A goalkeeper (Rossi) who responds, a defense that tries not to make a mess, a winger (Fabra) who surprises, a midfielder (Alan Varela) who has a clear start and the explosion of his forwards. Benedetto’s doors have reopened and Luca Langoni, a 19-year-old boy, does not seem to bear the responsibility of replacing two figures such as Sebastián Villa and Exequiel Zeballos, both in recovery. And another young man appeared, Gonzalo Morales, who scored two goals, one against Quilmes and the other against Vélez.
Ibarra had a virtue, of course. He hosted the team, hit with some changes and He didn’t feel like adding flyers or ending up playing with a line of five, while he faced the Marplatensi, if necessary. This is enough for him to be a protagonist. And perhaps, to win the championship. And the Liberators? It’s another story, of course.
Source: Clarin
