The penalty that Chiquito Romero saved from Sebastián Villa in Boca’s draw against Independiente Rivadavia in Mendoza

Sebastián Villa’s presence was one of the main focuses during the duel between Independiente Rivadavia and Boca Juniors on the 10th date of the Professional League. The expectation was quickly fulfilled at the Malvinas Argentinas Stadium in Mendoza: Nicolás Figal made a clear penalty that put the Colombian in the spotlight, but the spotlight ended up being taken by Sergio Romero.

It all started at 12 minutes when Lautaro Ríos anticipated a ball that ended with the Xeneize defender kicking it with a kick that made Facundo Tello not hesitate: penalty for the Lepra de Mendoza. A correct decision by the referee because it was a foul, since in the action of contesting the ball he ended up hitting the opponent in a reckless manner. The IFAB regulations are clear in this regard: “Reckless is an action in which a player shows a lack of attention or consideration or acts without caution when contesting a ball with an opponent.” At the same time, it clarifies that “a disciplinary sanction will not be necessary.”

Figal was not cautioned and the spotlight was on the 28-year-old Colombian striker, who left Boca after being convicted of gender violence in mid-2023 and had a brief stint in Bulgaria before returning to Argentine football.

As he was preparing to take the penalty, his former teammate Luis Advíncula tried to distract him, but beyond this, what Villa found on the other side was the enormous effectiveness of Chiquito Romero. The 37-year-old goalkeeper dived to his left, guessed his opponent’s intentions and kept a clean sheet. It was the 15th penalty he saved out of the 32 that were taken against him since he was in charge of Boca’s three goals.

Since arriving in Mendoza, Villa has played five games (all as a starter) and scored a key goal: to beat Independiente de Avellaneda 1-0. The Colombian left the field against Boca to applause with five minutes left in the match and gave way to Mauricio Asenjo.

The truth is that 15 minutes before the end of the match, a situation arose that raised alarms in the VAR room when defender Iván Villalba appeared alone after a corner and sent the ball into Boca’s goal. Doubts arose about a possible handball by the Paraguayan player, but the cameras made it clear that the ball hit his thigh and it was a legitimate goal for the Lepra.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw because in the last play of the game Cristian Medina appeared to save Xeneize, who is 15th in the Professional League with 14 points and will have its greatest challenge of the semester next Thursday, August 15, in the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana against Cruzeiro of Brazil at La Bombonera, in a tie that will close on August 22 in Brazil.