Boca Win Sixth Copa Libertadores
Riquelme Single-handedly Brings the Trophy Back to Buenos Aires
Linking attack and midfield in a devastatingly effective fashion, Juan Roman Riquelme helps the Bombonera faithful enjoy a sixth South American Champions League title.
Taking a seemingly unassailable 3-0 lead into the second leg of the Final of the Copa Libertadores, Boca Juniors (Arg) despatched Gremio (Bra) 2-0 in Porto Alegre and returned to Buenos Aires as six time winners of the South American Champions League.
In winning the competition for the sixth time (1977, 1978, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007) the Buenos Aires club are just one short of Independiente of Uruguay who have held the trophy seven times.
The Cup has spanned more than twenty weeks in duration coming to it’s zenith over two dates and this Final is the first time that these two sides have met in this competition.
First Leg - 13 June - Buenos Aires
In the Bombonera of Buenos Aires the gauchos of Gremio gave a good showing and could have stolen an away goal that in the end proved to be elusive and subsequently their downfall. The match, ending at 3-0 hardly did the Brazilian side any justice and really it showed that in this competition home advantage is everything. Goals by Rodrigo Palacio, Juan Roman Riquelme and an own goal by Patricio gave Boca a comfortable cushion to take with them comfortably to Porto Alegre.
Second Leg – 20 June – Porto Alegre
Despite Porto Alegre’s Estadio Olimpico being crammed to the rafters with almost 60,000 partisan fans desperate to see their side turn things around, Juan Roman Riquelme, clearly the player of the tournament, stole the day scoring two goals. Gremio fell silent as these two Riquelme goals were the only two that the home side had conceded here in Porto Alegre in this season’s Copa Libertadores. At 1-0 up, Boca’s talismanic striker Martin Palermo contrived to miss a penalty, but the game was out of Gremio’s reach and Riquelme sealed the deal with his second.
A player worthy of special note
Juan Roman Riquelme has lit up this tournament being the most effective playmaker and goal-scorer and lifted Boca Juniors from arguably abject performances in the group phase to winning the Cup. On loan from Villarreal of Spain for just four months Riquelme’s last games for the Buenos Aires outfit are no less than these Copa Libertadores Finals and after some festivities and euphoria in the Argentine capital he returns to Spain.
To Japan!
Boca Juniors now find themselves on the roster to dispute another Cup – The World Club Championship – in Japan in December. Here they will face the likes of AC Milan (UEFA Champions League winners), Pachuca of Mexico (Concacaf Winners) and champions from Oceania, Asia, North America and Africa.
All eyes in South America now turn to the Copa America in Venezuela.
