It is among the most captivating derbies in world football, and it will be played not once, not twice, but three times over the next two weeks, including in the Copa Libertadores, South America’s answer to the UEFA Champions League.
It is Boca Juniors-River Plate: that existential, city rivalry, the tremours of which are felt well beyond Buenos Aires, although that’s where the fault line is most severe.
But the template of the Superclasico is easily adaptable, and throughout South America—indeed, wherever the marginalized intersect with the affluent—it has turned up in those crevices where football collides with social fissure.
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History, it goes without saying, is a considerable part of the narrative, and there’s plenty of it, and more will likely be made as the second round of the Copa Libertadores kicks off this week.
There’s the barrio of La Boca, to which both clubs trace their lineage, and the Mantanza-Riachuelo river mouth (shaped like a letter “P”) that welcomed their forebears, mostly from Italy, in the late 19th century. And there’s River’s relocation to upscale Belgrano that extended the chasm between themselves and their former neighbours.
More recent history tells of River Plate’s Copa Libertadores triumphs over Boca Juniors in 1982 and 1986, and of Boca’s two-legged victories in 1991, 2000 and 2004—the latter of which was decided on penalties.
The two haven’t faced one another in the continent’s most prestigious club competition since Javier Villarreal’s successful spot kick 11 years ago—that is, until now, as they’ve been paired together in the round of 16 of the tournament’s 2015 installment.
Superclasico triology
As it happens, the first of this May trilogy of Superclasico matches was played on Sunday at Boca’s Bombonera stadium, where the hosts scored a pair of late goals to take sole possession of first place in Argentina’s Primera Division.
Nineteen-year-old substitute Cristian Pavon and midfielder Pablo Perez—both of whom came off the bench—did the damage in the final six minutes and showed that strength of depth is something that will serve Boca well in the upcoming Libertadores clashes.
So, too, will a near-impenetrable defence that has conceded just five goals in 11 league matches, despite goalkeeper Augustin Orion’s occasional wobbles.
River, on the other hand, were able to feel out their opponents for the vast majority of the contest before coming up short, although this Wednesday at Estadio Monumental they’ll be counting on strikers Rodrigo Mora and Teofilo Gutierrez to take their chances.
Winless in their previous four matches against River, Boca would seem to have jolted themselves into the favourites’ position at exactly the right time. But even recent form doesn’t mean all that much in derbies like this. The weight of a bigger, grander history is far too heavy for that.
The only certainty ahead of the next Superclasico, and the one after that, is a rumbling—a shaking in the cracks that have kept Boca Juniors and River Plate separated for so long. And that only get wider with time.
Brazil derbies
Facing the Superclasico victor in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals will be one of Sao Paulo and Cruzeiro, who will play the first of their two round-of-16 matches on Wednesday at the Morumbi before next week’s return fixture at Estadio Mineirao.
Neither of the Brazilian giants were involved in Sunday’s State Championship finals, and given the congested nature of the country’s schedule at this point in the calendar the bit of rest will have been welcomed by both.
Sao Paulo—inactive since posting a 2-0 win over Paulista rivals Corinthians in the group stage—have enjoyed a decent run of form following manager Muricy Ramalho’s resignation (he stepped down last month citing health concerns), and took four of a possible six points from Cruzeiro during the 2014 Brasileiro.
Cruzeiro, meanwhile, struggled at times during group play but won their bracket on the final matchday thanks to goals from Willian and Leo in a 2-0 win over Universitario and Hurucan’s 3-0 defeat at Mineros.
Sao Paulo strikers Alexandre Pato and Alan Kardec combined for 15 goals during the Paulistao; Cruzeiro marksman Leandro Damiao, meanwhile scored nine times to pace the Mineirao. All three will be front and centre in what should be a compelling, high-octane tie.
The other Brazilian derby will feature a pair of clubs who won their respective State Championships on Sunday: Atletico Mineiro in the Campeonato Mineiro and Internacional in the Campeonato Gaucho. Unlike Sao Paulo and Cruzeiro they’ll play on just two days’ rest, and while it’s an imperfect scenario it will affect both equally.
They traded home victories during the 2014 Brasileiro, and while Inter should be slightly favoured heading into Wednesday their opponents, who snuck into the round of 16 on goal difference, have an eerie knack of snatching victory from matches they have no business winning.
That said, goalkeeper Victor, who was heroic in Atletico’s 2013 Libertadores championship, will have to reprise those memorable performances from two years ago for his side to stand much of a chance against an Inter outfit featuring attackers Nilmar and Lisandro Lopez, 20-year-old playmaker Valdivia and experienced midfielder Andres D’Alessandro.
The winner will face either Estudiantes or Santa Fe in the quarterfinals.
Jerrad Peters is a Winnipeg-based writer. Follow him on Twitter