Boca will do the semester in ten days: the final against the Tigers and two all-or-nothing duels that will continue with the Libertadores

Boca will be played for ten days in the first semester. Its encounter with a start for the illusion, that it had strong storms in the middle and came with a new final – the second of the Sebastián Battaglia cycle. but there is a small margin for error in group E of the Copa Libertadores. In just one week, the club could add another star to the Professional League Cup definition against Tigre, but they will also have to face Corinthians and Deportivo Cali, in two clashes with Bombonera that pose a risk in the search for tickets for the knockout stage of the international competition.

In private, the squad, the coaching staff and from the leadership are clear at the start of 2022. The goals are to compete until the end in the domestic tournament, with playoff chances and direct elimination. yun fulfilled after the victory in the penalties against Karera at the Lanús stadium, although now everyone dreams of embroidering another star on the shield. But before and after the last game against Victoria’s, the attention and the tension will have Libertadores. That included heavy defeats on visits to St. Paul and Cal, but that had a resolution to Brandsen 805.

Against the poor Corinthiansone of the teams strengthened more and better with the aspirations of breaking the Palmeiras dynasty with the Libertadores, it will be a basic game but indecisive. It is that even with the fall of Battaglia and company they will reach victory on the final day against Deportivo Cali to land in the next stage. Of course: that means reaching the deadline with no margin for error, hence a victory -and even a board- against Timao relieve everyone before the fight against the Tigers in Córdoba.

Boca will train in Ezeiza, then in Corinthians and then just one morning off (Wednesday, because the training is in the afternoon) until the end of the semester. The team will fly to Córdoba on Saturday – it will stay at the Holiday Inn hotel – and on their return it will resume practice for the duel against Deportivo Cali on Thursday 26th.

After the bad game against Karera, despite the success, the coaching staff will seek to take advantage of the psychic facet to assert the surnames that contribute to the game that DT liked against Defense and Justice. And for this reason, despite the forced absences of Sebastián Villa and Marcos Rojo, who are still allowed by Conmebol for international competitions, the coach will put in the best he has, without thinking about the tired face of the meaning of the Copa de la League.

So far in 2022, Boca has numbers that show a positive semester: 21 games, with eleven wins (including a Superclásico against River as a guest), seven draws and just three losses. Although these statistics do not detract from a performance that Battaglia himself described as “irregular”.

The ups and downs are visible, but the strength in these last meetings is explained from back to front. Because Boca has accumulated five consecutive games without scoring a goal (Barracas Central, Always Ready, Tiger, Defense and Justice and Racing). Coincidentally or not, this coincides with the return of the most relevant parts of its defense. There was improvement with Carlos Zambrano and Marcos Rojo in the back.

Now DT also has Carlos Izquierdoz, recovered from his injury and no pending sanctions in the Copa Libertadores. Is it time to reclaim ownership or resume filmmaking for the Peruvian? On the night against the Corinthians, Rojo could not play, so the door opened for the captain’s return.

If the rest of the squad is at its best (Benedetto, Pol Fernández, Ramírez and Advíncula are at the limit), Battaglia will bet on using most of the usual starters with doubts about the inclusion of Toto Salvio or Zeballos for Villa, as further consider whether to put Óscar Romero or Cristian Medina to accompany Alan Varela and Fernández in the center circle.

This is not the time to think or experiment. It was that Boca was playing it all in the final period.

The moving market, after definition

Without much margin for the start of a new season, since the new domestic tournament will start on June 5, and in uncertainty about what will happen in the international competition, in Boca they have postponed the transfer of movements to market after May 26.

There are already informal talks for renewals between Eduardo Salvio and Jorman Campuzanoin the search for updating contracts with Rossi, Izquierdoz and youth also, the priority is to keep the squad consolidated at the start of 2022 but with tweaks and also the possibility of transfers.

Although the club has not received formal offers for any players, there are some surnames that appear in orbit with exits. Like Agustín Almendra (marginalized due to misconduct), Sebastián Villa (beyond the judicial process) and Rossi, whose huge European market has not yet opened. Then, before each casualty, there will be negotiations to begin.

Even Boca postponed a conversation with Colón’s directors, who contacted within weeks on resume negotiations for Facundo Faríasto whom in this market they will seek to sell but have an eye abroad.

From the Santa Fe club they called Boca with the idea to seek a move to become future partners and perhaps include a youth loan, as happened with the boys who went to Tiger. The answer, identical: everything will be discussed after the definition.