Pavón’s last day at Boca: the Cordovan he painted for crack and walked out the back door

This Thursday was a farewell day at Xeneize. Is that at the exit of an Eduardo Salvio who continued to defend the colors of the Pumas de México, Cristian Pavón joinedwhose name seems to have been forgotten in La Bombonera after several months in the shadows. Years ago, he appeared as one of the great promises of Argentine football. And his maximum performance allowed him to play the 2018 World Cup in Russia with the national team. Today he left Boca through the back door, without pain or glory.

The history of Cordoba is, at least, particular. And it is that since his debut in Talleres de Córdoba in December 2013, Pavón’s career has only been re-evaluated. With a handful of games, he caught the eye of a Boca he put on 14 million pesos for your passage With a loan to Colón in between, he settled in Xeneize, where he experienced his heyday but also his most complicated moments.

His start in Boca was bumpy, since in one of his first introductions with the jersey blue and gold he suffered an injury that would have sidelined him by the courts for several months. Far from losing his job, the forward is back better than ever, ending the first half of 2015 as the undisputed starter in the team led by Rodolfo Arruabarrena. In a Superclásico alla Bombonera he opened the 2-0 and celebrated with a gesture that attracted attention: he made the gesture of driving a car. It’s that his rep promised to lend him his BMW truck for a month if he scored against River. I was 19.

In that Copa Libertadores he would experience his first major frustration, when after an impeccable group stage, Boca would end up being eliminated against River in the context of the famous pepper spray episode. In that year, however, Pavón will also retain his first two professional titles. League and Argentine Cup for Xeneizewho, hand in hand with Cordovan, was already putting his head in the next Libertadores.

In 2016 the Anisacate native ended up exploding, and on the verge of goals and assists, he was put in the crosshairs of several European teams. From the Netherlands they were determined to keep up the Pavón pass, which at the time was valued at approx 10 million dollarsbut the La Ribera club was betting a lot on him and making an effort to keep him.

That season ended once again with Boca out of the Libertadores and with Kichan as one of the few highlights of the elimination against Independiente del Valle. In any case, Cordovan once again shouted champion in the local match, and now they were looking for him from Russia.

Zenit wanted to keep the winger, but Guillermo Barros Schelotto understood that he was the player to keep and the management granted his wish. 2017 would be another busy year for Pavón, who would star in his first scandal. Through an Instagram broadcast, the striker was shown smoking with Jonathan Silvaand it cost him dearly.

The attitude annoyed both the management and the coaching staff and Cordovan were fined financially. In any case, this controversy was far from overshadowing his performance on the pitch, and that would end up being one of the best seasons of Pavón’s career. Indeed, it was who ended up being called up for the first time in the Argentine national team.

The great promise of Argentine football

Hand in hand with the call, the French newspaper L’Équipe listed him among the 50 best under-21 players in the world and reported that his record was worth 30 million dollars. From Boca they moved quickly to protect him, and Zenit’s offer – reaching 21 million dollars – was increasingly far from the player’s real price.

Once again, Pavón has remained with the Argentine Superliga, establishing himself as the best assist and best player in the competition. Now the polls were no longer from Russia or the Netherlands. The European giants were looking for Cordovan, but he was still stationary at Boca, with the aim of earning a place in Russia 2018 World Cup.

And at the start of the World Cup year, Pavón was not out of tune from a footballing point of view. His good performance led him to be called up for the friendlies of the national team in March of the same year, practically earning a place among the 23 who will play the World Cup. And when Jorge Sampaoli unveiled the list, it didn’t seem like a surprise that the Boca striker was called up for the top competition.

The World Cup, a before and after for Pavón

With 22 years, Kichan He traveled to Russia with the big goal of claiming the champion and although he managed to add minutes, the result was not what all Argentines expected. The team has never met and after a difficult ranking in the second round (It was Pavón who allowed Mercado to send center in Marcos Rojo’s agonizing goal against Nigeria)he was ruled out against a France that would end up calling out champion.

Pavón, who added minutes in the four games played by the team albiceleste in that World Cup he had to return to Boca. And with that cup closed, they followed him closely from Europe, and in Boca it was said that his pass was worth more than 50 million dollars. Arsenal of England, willing to put the money, asked for Cordovan, but the negotiation ended in nothing.

And so the striker has decided to continue, at least another six months at Boca, with the aim of lifting the long-awaited Copa Libertadores. Kichan hasn’t finished showing his best versionbut Xeneize wreaked havoc and made it to the finals of the continent’s premier club tournament.

The rest is known history. The final of the controversy was played by River and Boca, but Pavón was anything but a protagonist. He leaves on the first leg, but an injury forces him to leave before half an hour. In the second leg he played the 120 minutes of play, but was never able to show his full potential.

Pavón went from being one of the great figures of Boca to being part of a team with a lot of competition. And in 2018 also the Cordovan he will play his last match with the Argentine national team. It was against Colombia and at the hands of a Lionel Scaloni who was the interim DT at the time. Later, an injury left him out of the next call, and thus he ended up losing his place.

2019 was anything but the year of redemption and the winger continued with his erratic performances, which did not end up putting him in the eleven holders of Boca. Already with Alfaro as DT, Pavón ended up losing ground and the possibility of emigrating began to grow more and more.

But we no longer talked about PSG, nor about Milan, nor about Barcelona. Now the team that was trying to incorporate Pavón was Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS, directed by Guillermo Barros Schelotto at the time. And finally in August of that year, Kichan would go to the American team through a one year loanand in return two million dollars.

Your MLS experience

Since his arrival in the United States, Pavón has revolutionized the city of Los Angeles. The team already had the great figure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. And now he has added one of the continent’s biggest promises with the aim of still fighting for the championship, so elusive in recent seasons.

In addition, the loan was accompanied by a purchase option that was in circulation 25 million dollars, so it could all end in business for Boca. The truth is that the loan has been extended more than necessary, and Cordovan finally played 35 games in the MLS, in which he scored 14 goals.

Despite the fact that his time at LA Galaxy has been generally positive, the North American team has finally chosen not to take advantage of the buy option. The Americans felt it was too high and, despite several conversations between the clubs and the occasional offer, the footballer had to return to Boca.

Second stop in Boca, denunciation and farewell

Cordovan started 2021 once again with the La Ribera club shirt. Now under the orders of Miguel Angelo Russo. But before joining the first team, and – obviously – adding more minutes, the striker had to be the protagonist of a scandal that ended with a complaint.

In March 2021, Cristian Pavón was accused by the Cordova justice for the alleged crime of “sexual abuse with carnal access”in reference to an episode that would have occurred in November 2020. The player, called to an investigative act, had to put football in the background.

In any case, Kichan has not lost his place in the consideration of Russo, who gave him the opportunity to wear the Boca shirt again after almost two years. It was before the hurricane, in April of that year. Since then there have been 36 matches for the Cordoban, who has never again been able to show the best version of him.

Although the striker did not finish the match, the management now headed by Juan Román Riquelme had the great goal of renewing his contract, which expired in June this year. Pavón’s position was clear, he wanted to leave Boca and had no intention of signing a new bond. Even that of the Football Council. Pavón was removed from campus and would no longer wear the shirt blue and gold.

His last match was with the Copa Argentina title in December. When he entered the second half in the final against Talleres in Santiago del Estero and scored his penalty in definition.

This Friday his contract expires and that too punishment who sidelined him from football for a full semester. From tomorrow Kichan will keep the pass in his possession and will sign a contract with Atlético Mineiro, where he will try to start from scratch. From the hand of Antonio MohammedPavón aims for redemption, trying to leave very complicated years behind.