Whatever else happens this year, Saturday 7th March will go down in history as one of the greatest days that fans of Boca Juniors have had following their club.
As one of the two Argentine giants known all around the world there is a constant pressure for Boca to not only win titles, but also overcome their arch-rivals from across Buenos Aires, River Plate.
Boca haven’t had it their own way in recent years – without a league win against River since 2017 they were left humiliated after last year’s defeat when the sides met in the Semi-Final of the Copa Libertadores. That of course, came just a year after River had also beaten them in the final of South America’s biggest cup competition.
So when the 2019/20 Superliga restarted in January with the title looking like a straight race between River and Boca, no one was really expecting Boca to pull through and take it.
But amazingly, after matching each other win-for-win River stumbled in the penultimate round, drawing at home to Defensa.
That left a simple equation for the final Saturday – win and River take the title but drop points? That would allow Boca back into it, with a win of their own against Gimnasia La Plata.
On paper, River had by fair the tougher test – they had to go to Atlético Tucumán in the north of the country, a well supported club in their own right and traditionally no friend to the big boys from Buenos Aires.
Boca were at home and their opponents, although embroiled in a relegation battle were managed by Diego Maradona – one of Boca’s most loved sons and a regular in the hospitality boxes at the legendary Bombonera. To say he was still on friendly terms with Boca would be an understatement.
But surely River wouldn’t slip up again?
Tucumán came out racing and opened the scoring in the 19th minute, but River recovered and equalised just sixteen minutes later. Plenty of time to get the winning goal they needed.
Meanwhile, Gimnasia were holding their own at Boca and they went in goalless at half-time.
With the games going on concurrently, the tension built up even further – something that only added to River’s frustration as they were denied what looked like decent shouts for a penalty.
Then at La Bombonera, it happened. Carlos Tevez, so often Boca’s hero but a striker who had started the season looking like a shadow of his former self scored. All hell broke loose.
And there aren’t many stadiums in the world that celebrate a goal like La Bombonera.
That Tevez goal changed everything. Suddenly Boca were in the driving seat and at Tucumán, River were getting nothing – either from the home team’s defence, or the officials.
The score in both games remained the same. Boca had stolen the league title, their 69th title overall from right under the noses of their eternal enemies, in the final half of the last game of the season.
The celebrations were long and hard.
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