This week's derby will have one of the leaders facing Boca Juniors, starving at the bottom end of the positions table.
Claudio Borghi must be missing his time with Argentinos Juniors, as after lifting the last Clausura, Bichi Borghi is now fighting to celebrate at least one victory before the Xeneizes followers want his head to roll. Boca's investment during Argentina's winter was far beyond the initial budget, for an extreme investment in the defense (changing goalkeeper and four defenders) as well as an agreement between Juan Roman Riquelme and Martin Palermo to stay in the club was foreboding an illustrious debut. One single point obtained in three matches presage a tough future ahead. Ricardo Gareca, on the other hand, managed to maintain the same level with the Fortin, and after three unsuccessful tournaments, Gareca will be looking forward to recover his place within Argentina's best.Worst case scenario
Something odd is keeping Boca Juniors from realizing itself as a collective entity, as no matter how involved in the transfer market the Xeneizes get, the result is far from promising. Certain rumors regarding Claudio Borghi's departure upon a defeat were heard during the week, but the coach himself denied his permanence was jeopardized whatsoever. He did recognize, nevertheless, that a victory was to be obtained to straighten the path for the weeks to come.
M
arcelo Cañete appeared to be the answer to all of Borghi's problems, but the pressure was far too heavy for the young midfielder to bear with. Injured in the same way his inspiration Juan Roman Riquelme was, Boca has to start all over the search for a nexus between the strikers and the creative midfielders. This will be a defining match for Boca Juniors, as a victory against the leader could seriously boost their confidence for the second half of the tournament.
arcelo Cañete appeared to be the answer to all of Borghi's problems, but the pressure was far too heavy for the young midfielder to bear with. Injured in the same way his inspiration Juan Roman Riquelme was, Boca has to start all over the search for a nexus between the strikers and the creative midfielders. This will be a defining match for Boca Juniors, as a victory against the leader could seriously boost their confidence for the second half of the tournament.Pablo Mouche and Jesus Mendez will return to the bench, allowing Cristian Cellay and Clemente Rodriguez to strengthen the wings. Boca's new 3-3-2-2 formation might widen the play and break this way Velez's defense.
100% efficiency
Ricardo Gareca's strategic perspective changed the dynamics of Velez, recovering the lost glory and taking the Fortin to fight once again as one of America's best, even though no titles have contributed to boost players' confidence. Three matches, nine points and a cohesive scheme are feeding followers' hunger for glory, and this derby should be a delightful aperitif to offer to the crowds.
Liniers' coach has found the ideal formation, as the bridges between Matute Moralez, Mariano Martinez and Santiago Silva are solidly built. Leandro Somoza and Victor Zapata contribute greatly to recover the ball and provide the finesse needed to beat any defense. German Montoya between the posts is half a victory when Sebastian Dominguez and Emiliano Papa deny the opposite strikers from worrying Velez's goalkeeper. Having just defeated Clausura's leader, Velez Sarsfield has shown little can be done to stop this enormous monster from Liniers from lurking at the top.
Historical Facts
On 190 matches, Boca has 50% efficiency with 95 victories against 52 for Liniers' squad. Six years ago Boca celebrated the biggest victory, 6-0. As always, Martin Palermo leads the scoring table, with 12 goals against Velez. Numbers might favor Boca, but the present shines forth for Velez.. which force will be stronger?
