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Tiger vs. Boca, for the Professional League: result, summary and more

The Matador Takes Down Boca: A Glaring Start for Gago!

In what can only be described as a debut that made Titanic’s sinking look like a pleasant afternoon on a fishing trip, Nehuén Paz and his comrades at Tigre decided to crash Fernando Gago’s grand introduction as Boca Juniors’ coach with a shocking 3-0 thrashing!

Now listen, the Boca fans were tuned in, probably expecting Gago to perform some sort of wizardry, but it instead unfolded like a comedy club that forgot to sell tickets. The Matador from Victoria left Xeneize looking more confused than a chameleon in a bag of Skittles. I mean, three goals to nil, for goodness’ sake! And let’s not forget the controversy that defined this match, showcasing more drama than a telenovela.

Goals, Controversies, and a Stunned Crowd

The opening act for the night was none other than young Paz, netting his goal in the 26th minute. But hang on—was it a goal, or was it simply a mirage? Because it hit the hands of not one but two players before trickling in. Would you call that skill, luck, or just a touch of VAR-induced madness? The referees decided we needed to go down that rabbit hole and, after a lengthy delay, the goal was given, much to the chagrin of the Boca faithful.

And just as we were about to go grab popcorn, Blas Armoa came crashing in at the end of the first half and nearly doubled the score! But, oh, hold your horses; he was offside by a millimeter—a decision so precise it could’ve been made with a laser pointer. It’s almost like the linesman was itching for a spot on a detective show.

Boca’s Second Half Spark—But Still Nothing

As the second half rolled out, Boca looked slightly reborn, like a phoenix that unfortunately couldn’t rise from the ashes. They pressured, they attacked, and they tried to squeeze out opportunities like toothpaste. Two magnificent saves from Tigre’s goalkeeper Felipe Zenobio kept the Xeneizes at bay, each moment feeling like a slight against Boca’s supposed offensive prowess.

But Wait, There’s More…

In the dying moments, with Boca chasing shadows and desperately seeking a goal, Agustín Cardozo decided to join the score sheet party, following up on a header and thrusting the score to 2-0. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for Gago, Sebastián Medina put the icing on the cake with a fierce shot, sealing the deal at 3-0. If Gago was looking for a silver lining, he might need to squint really hard through this gloomy cloud!

What Does This Mean for Boca?

With this stunning defeat, the Boca fans must be reeling. And who could blame them? The hopes were high, and yet they went as low as a limbo stick at a particularly bad party. The team will now look to regroup ahead of their next challenge—but they better bring their A-game against Gimnasia, or they could find themselves further behind as the race for the Copa Libertadores qualification heats up.

Final Thoughts

The night belonged to Tigre, a team that rose victorious without having to pull a rabbit out of a hat. As for Boca and Coach Gago, well, they’ve got a lot of glass that needs mending after this shattering experience. Go get ’em, Pintita. Because from what we saw tonight, you’re going to need every ounce of magic to bounce back!

With a controversial goal from Nehuén Paz and others from Agustín Cardozo and Sebastián Medina, the Matador from Victoria thrashed Xeneize in Pintita’s debut as a blue and gold coach.

Fernando Gago’s debut in Boca was not what Boca fans expected. Tigre beat Xeneize 3-0 on matchday 18 of the 2024 Professional League thanks to a controversial goal from Nehuén Paz and subsequent goals from Agustín Cardozo and Sebastián Medina. Pintita’s team will have to change their chip ahead of the next Argentine Cup match against Gimnasia so as not to lose chances of qualifying for the next edition of the Copa Libertadores.

The hopes of the blue and gold supporters were high, especially due to the methods and idea that the coach had presented at the presentation press conference. With the novelty of the return of references such as Sergio Romero and Marcos Rojo, in addition to the change of scheme and position for Miguel Merentiel, Xeneize failed to gain a foothold during the first minutes of play in Victoria.

In fact, that clean exit that Gago seeks in each of his teams was not reflected either, since Boca had several errors that Tigre could not capitalize on dangerous occasions. However, at 26 minutes, after a corner from the left, the ball went to Nehuén Paz, who finished and benefited from a deflection by Rojo that allowed the first goal of the game.

There was the first controversy of the match because before the shot, the ball hit the hand of both the Matador defender and his teammate Ramón Arias. After several minutes in which the VAR reviewed the situation and finally validated the goal.

The second dubious play occurred at the end of the first half, when the defense of the team led by Sebastián Domínguez rejected a ball that fell to Blas Armoa, who took advantage of the fact that the last line of Xeneize was advanced and scored the second goal for his team . However, the play was invalidated by a millimeter offside that left the score with a minimal difference.

The remaining 45 minutes showed a different facet of Gago’s team that had control of the ball and made goalkeeper Felipe Zenobio shine as a result of two opportunities from Brian Aguirre and Edinson Cavani. The game was completely focused on attack and Boca’s lack of forcefulness was taken advantage of by Tigre, who gave the final blows in the last moments of the match.

First through captain Agustín Cardozo who pushed the ball after a header from Armoa and, already in injury time, through a powerful shot from Sebastián Medina.

While Matador managed to get out of the last position in the annual table – although calmer due to the elimination of relegations -, Boca will have to recover from the blow in Victoria by next Wednesday, the day in which it will face Gimnasia in the quarterfinals of the Argentine Cup, one of the few access routes left to qualify for the next edition of the Copa Libertadores.