Boca won and is the only leader in the Professional League. And although it was a discreet game with few emotions, the 1-0 against Lanús left behind several controversial moves that could have altered the development of the game.
The most obvious of all was an action that should have ended in a penalty for Boca. Twenty minutes into the second half, Frank Fabra got into the area and seemed to be keeping the ball. But then, and with full intention, Franco Troyansky stopped the ball with his left elbow inside the area. Surprisingly, neither the referee Facundo Tello nor the VAR charged him.
On the opposite sidewalk, and closer to the end, another action that generated discussion was the one that had Carlos Zambrano as the protagonist. The Peruvian, already with the ball away from the action, hit Franco Orozco directly. Referee Tello gave him a yellow card. But it was up to the VAR to summon the referee and indicate the expulsion for rough play. Nothing happened. It is not something new. The defender makes plays of this style with some frequency, something that makes him walk on the edge of the red.
For that play, the Peruvian received a warning, which frees him from Monday’s game against Huracán and can leave earlier with his team.
On the other hand, two men from Boca ended the game very sore. Nicolás Figal suffered a sprained knee (right), while Norberto Briasco had a sprained left ankle (the one operated on was the right one). Given these casualties, it will be a problem for Hugo Ibarra to form the central defense next Monday, against Huracán. If Figal does not recover, and with Zambrano suspended, we will also have to wait for the suspension for Rojo, sent off against River. A detail: due to Figal’s injury, it was Alan Varela who ended up playing as the second central defender.
Finally, a very curious action occurred a moment after Boca’s goal. Because while Agustín Rossi celebrated Benedetto’s goal from a distance, Lanús took a quick kick from the middle and was inches away from tying it, with a shot from midfield. It was an action that not even the TV cameras were able to capture during the broadcast. Had he hit the bow, it would have been a blooper.
The meeting was locked and with few situations of real danger. In any case, Boca was able to keep the three points, accumulate 15 of 15 in the last 5 games and climb to the top of the standings.
Hugo Ibarra, in a press conference, highlighted and evaluated: “The game we played on Sunday was of enormous emotional and physical wear. I trust the squad I have. I did my best to face this match. In the second half we made the corresponding changes and the victory came”.