Boca Juniors Irony Presented by Argentine Duo

MIAMI, MONDAY — The Argentine club, Boca Juniors, faced a bitter reality in their first match of the 2025 Club World Cup. Although they played as if at home and initially led by two goals, they had to settle for a draw with Benfica. Boca's disappointment was delivered by two Argentine players, Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi.

The heated duel that ended in a 2-2 draw took place in Group C at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, on Tuesday (17/6/2025 WIB). Three red cards between Boca and Benfica can somewhat illustrate the atmosphere and intensity of the match. Both teams concluded the contest with ten players each.

It is only natural that the match was intense. The stadium was filled with approximately 55,000 spectators, the majority of whom were Boca supporters. Boca was reluctant to waste that support, especially after taking an early lead of 2-0 at the beginning of the match. Goals from striker Miguel Merentiel and midfielder Rodrigo Battaglia had briefly elevated Boca's position.

The shadow of Boca's celebration was disrupted by Di Maria and his teammates. Benfica struck with a pair of goals originating from the same scheme, a corner kick. Both goals involved defender Otamendi. The first goal came from a penalty taken by Di Maria after Otamendi was fouled. The second goal was scored directly with a header from Otamendi.

The second goal conceded in the 84th minute felt very bitter for Boca, considering that Benfica was already playing with ten men at that time. Forward Andrea Belotti received a red card for raising his foot too high during a ball contest. "It feels strange. It leaves a bitterness," said Merentiel, the captain of the Boca team.

Boca's defense seems to have not learned from their mistakes. They allowed Otamendi to move freely in the penalty area during a corner kick scheme, before ultimately being fouled by Carlos Palacios. Otamendi was again left unmarked to receive a corner kick pass from Orkun Kokcu for the equalizing goal.

Interestingly, the bitter pill is given to Di Maria and Otamendi, who have often brought joy to the Argentine public. They are the foundation of the Argentine national team that won the Qatar 2022 World Cup. However, in their professional careers, they are more closely associated with clubs in Portugal. They have spent more time playing in Portugal than in their own country.

"We tried to win the match. We know what Argentine football is like. We know how we should play, but in the first half, we did not perform as we should have. In the second half, we played much better. We tried to win the match in the end, but we were unsuccessful," said Di Maria.

Boca ultimately concluded the match with ten players. Defender Nicolas Figal received a direct red card due to a serious foul. At the end of the first half, Boca player Ander Herrera also received a red card as a result of a "verbal altercation" with an opposing player. However, Herrera had already been substituted since the 20th minute.

I think, for us Argentinian teams, the gap is still felt with European clubs. Hopefully it can be reduced one day. We will continue to work for it. - Miguel Russo -

Perspectives on the leadership of Mexican referee, Cesar Palazuelos Ramos, are divided. Di Maria stated that the referee was late in issuing cards, resulting in a match that was rather rough and difficult to enjoy. Conversely, Boca Coach Miguel Russo assessed that the referee was too reactive. Russo disagreed with the penalty decision and the red card.

As the final result indicates, the match was actually balanced. Benfica dominated the game more, holding a significant advantage in ball possession at 60.5 percent. However, Boca was more efficient in converting attacks into opportunities. Boca led in the number of shots, 10 to 8.

According to Russo, there is still a noticeable quality gap between the two teams. "The opponent is tough. We had the advantage, and they equalized. I think, for us Argentine teams, the gap is still felt with European clubs. Hopefully, it can be narrowed someday. We will continue to work towards that," he stated.

Through this result, the competition in Group C will become increasingly intense. Bayern Munich leads the temporary standings after winning 10-0 against the semi-professional team, Auckland City. On paper, Bayern is set to advance as the group champion. One more ticket is likely to be contested only by two teams, namely Boca and Benfica.

Boca and Benfica must be able to secure points from Bayern and win as decisively as possible against Auckland. Boca will face the challenge of Bayern on Thursday morning, while Benfica will meet Auckland on Wednesday morning. With substantial support from the audience, Boca cannot be underestimated. (AP/REUTERS)