That’s it, the time has come. The biggest games in history of Argentine football are about to happen in November, and the country just can’t think of any other subject.
Boca Juniors and River Plate are about to face each other in the final of Copa Libertadores. The games, both in Buenos Aires, will be played on November 10th at La Bombonera and November 24th at Monumental de Nuñez.
Now for you who know about the famous rivalry but are not really used to watching South American football, we give five reasons why you shouldn’t miss the games.
1 – It’s the first…
Boca Juniors and River Plate have been facing each other since 1908 and fight for Argentina’s most important trophies year after year. But never have they decided a Copa Libertadores title before.
2 – …and the last
We won’t be seeing any more two-leg Libertadores finals. From 2019 onwards, Conmebol has decided to copy UEFA and make it a final with a single game. That’s the end of a big tradition in South America, as fans used to have a big party at each match.
Now with a game in a random country, it’s likely that the stadium will be filled with tourists or rich fans who don’t always represent the local support.
You may be watching it from TV, but you will certainly get goosebumps once the fans welcome the players. La Bombonera and Monumental de Nuñez do a throw party for big games, and it should get even greater this time. Especially because the clubs decided not to have away support, which is arguably a bad decision, but should only make the home attendance bigger as there are no security concerns.
4 – Don’t worry about sleeping late
We all know that the biggest reason why Europeans don’t watch Copa Libertadores is because games are played late on weekdays, which means it goes past midnight UK time. But this final will be played on a Saturday afternoon in Argentina, which means you can make it your Saturday night program and tune in at 8pm.
5 – It’s the biggest Superclássico in history, for f**** sake!
One of the biggest rivalries in world football decided in a final. One game on each side of Buenos Aires, on pitches where the likes of Diego Maradona, Marcelo Sallas, Juan Roman Riquelme, Enzo Francescoli, Martin Pallermo and Ariel Ortega all made history. Hundreds of trophies which will all be forgotten for a while if the club loses the title, and an eternal glory for the champions of this clash.
You can do what you want on Saturday night, but this would be a special way to spend it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttt4p_qRJZU&feature=youtu.be
