Rojo was sent off again against River and left Boca with ten seconds left. (Photo by ALEJANDRO PAGNI / AFP)
With more drive than play, Boca did what they should and won the Superclásico thanks to a solitary goal from Darío Benedetto. The ‘Xeneize’ ended the game well, and although they didn’t have many chances to extend their lead, the result didn’t suffer much either. Until in the last, remained with ten for an irresponsibility of Marcos Rojowhich compromised the victory.
Around the sixth minute of addition, he went to play a ball with his leg very high, and found the head of Nicolás De la Cruz. Free kick, expulsion and free kick at the goal of the area for River: Rojo gave the ‘Millionaire’ the last game, and once again he left his team with one less.
After the match, between Chicanas and Marcelo Gallardo for his words in the Superclásico preview, the defender clarified the game: “It happened really well, they threw me out at the last play. I was out suffering a bit, but luckily it passed quickly. I went up on the fence to celebrate the goal, but I went down quickly, otherwise they would all have taken Carta yellow “.
The truth is that it is not the first time that Marcos Rojo has acted in such a situation. and the second red card of the defender since he arrived at Boca. The previous? He had also been in a Superclásico. The truth is that there could have been many more expulsions, since with some more of his 23 yellow cards, the Rosso got rather cheaply …
In the networks – and in some other courts – there is talk of the famous ‘license to strike’. On paper, Marcos Rojo would have been one of the main victims of the implementation of the VAR. The reality was different: his two expulsions were unrelated to the intervention of technology, and when they had to judge him from the cabin, more than once they spared his life.
The other controversies
Already from the statistics it is clear that Marcos Rojo’s style has to do with playing to the limit. Before joining Boca, the defender had been sent off six times in his career, also amassing 80 yellow cards. At La Ribera club, he took that statistic further.
The average of Marcos Rojo’s cards in Boca is quite high, but for some rivals not high enough. A clear example has to do with the terrible blow that the defender dealt to Julián Álvarez in the Superclásico last year’s Argentine Cup round of 16. That night, Rojo went with everything from the striker and left the blocks marked on his back. For Patricio Loustau it was yellow.
The only Argentine football referee who until this Sunday had sent off Rojo was Fernando Rapallini. Rapallini himself forgave him a terrible nudge of fever on Nicolás Reniero’s face a little less than two months ago. The Argentinos Juniors striker was moved, lying on the ground, but for the referee it was nothing.
Another episode, even more difficult to justify, occurred in the last match between Boca and Talleres, what ended up being defined thanks to a goal from Marcos Rojo from twelve steps. The truth is that the defender should have been sent off a few minutes earlier for an attack on Alan Franco. There were two shots in the face of the man with the “T”. Pablo Dóvalo escaped, and so did the VAR.
To these controversies of the defender can be added several other episodes: a hard kick against Fernando Valenzuela of Barracas Central, a free-kick against Renzo López of Central Córdoba, and even a flat iron against Agustín Fontana in a Superclásico that Facundo Tello did not do. it was nothing. All very controversial, but no one was red.
The latest controversy was against San Lorenzo, when Rojo arrived late and hit Iván Leguizamón in the face, causing the VAR to call. The Boca man crossed paths with Fernando Espinoza, the controversial referee who made headlines for his gestures against Newell fans. That afternoon, for the referee, the defender was not for the expulsion.
That match was also marked by Rojo’s celebration in Boca’s only goal in the match. The defender had put ‘Xeneize’ ahead and went to hug Carlos Izquierdoz, then captain and in conflict with the management. With that party Rojo has declared war on the Football Council and added another controversy to the list.
Source: Clarin
