Time To Put Up Or Shut Up…Plus, A New Segment!

By: Brett | October 28th, 2009

bombanera lego

Two season defining matches in the next four days against Chacarita Juniors and Rosario Central will determine whether Boca is still a force to reckoned with in Apertura 2009 or if this campaign will be resigned to the crap heap and attention turns to slavaging some pride with a spot in the Copa Libertadores for 2010.

We may have deserved more from the Superclassico, but it’s over and it’s never coming back. We are tenth, and with our title rivals beginning to re-find form, we are now a precarious eight points adrift of leaders Estudiantes. I say precarious because another loss for Los Xenienes and some unfavourable results from other matches could see the margin blow out towards double figures, and no one wants that.

This makes the equation quite simple – take all six points from our next two encounters with Chacarita Juniors and Rosario Central.

If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to express just how important these games are by using as many worn out football cliches as possible. Here goes – We know we can only take it one week at a time and play the full ninety-minutes (twice). We have to give 100% because our destiny is in our own hands. In short, we’ve got to want it more than our opponents. Our defense has to be solid, our midfielders tenacious and creative, and our striker alert and clinical. It’s time to stand up and be counted, to put or shut up because, after this weekend, the dream could be lost and we will be left contemplating what may have been. Phew, I’m knackered.

The first leg in the ‘Season Defining Four Days of the Devil of Death’ – Chacarita Juniors. The match at La Bombonera, nicely illustrated in Lego form in the above photo, is a brilliant opportunity for us to regain our momentum.

To say Chacarita Juniors are something of an unknown quantity to anyone outside of the neighbourhood of Chacarita is something of an understatement. So unknown are the “Undertakers”, a nickname derived from the squads favourite wrestler (or, if you believe Wikipedia, the fact that their home ground is near a cemetary), that of the three news articles posted on their ESPNsoccernet homepage, two aren’t even about them.

The story goes that ESPN ran something of a telethon for Chacarita, asking other, larger clubs to donate unwanted stories from their own homepages to the Argentine minnows. PSG answered the call with a story about the return of Claude Makelele in 2008 and Chelsea donated a story from 2006 of them poaching two youngstars from Leeds United. Is it wrong that I find such wonderful solidarity in the greater football community kind of arousing?

Then, on Sunday, the team hops in Riquelme’s stretch hummer and make the three hour or so drive up to Rosario to face Rosario Central for the second leg of the ‘Season Defining Four Days of the Devil of Death’. A word of warning to the rest of the team- Insua is a cheeky bugger and likes to try and call shotgun before he can see the car. Be alert. And Romi doesn’t like people eating or drinking in his ride – gettin stains on the upholstery just ain’t cool.

rosario

Rosario sit a spot above us in the table and are having a season almost as inconsistent as we are. I had pretty indifferent feeling towards them until I learned their nickname: the ‘canallas’, in English, the ’scoundrels.’ They apparently earned this nickname after refusing to playa charity match for leprosy back in the 1920s. Are they anti-charity? Or pro-leprosy? Either way, I’m now disgusted and want us to belt them into submission. Despite the fact that one of my favourite players to ever pull on a Valencia shirt, Kily Gonzalez, is a former player.

Can we win both games? Bloody oath we can. Will we win both games? Bloody oath we will. I forsee a 4-1 romp of the Undertakers and then a hard fought 1-0 over the charity haters.

But, to the part of the entry you’ve been searching for – Time to introduce a new segment!! (insert monkeys wearing tuxedos applause): “Boca Quiz Corner.” As the name implies, this segment will be devoted to quiz questions centred around the club we all love so much. Let’s kick off with an easy one-

Which former Boca Juniors player made his name at Rosario, scoring 35 goals in 57 matches for them between 2001 and 2003? This dude also played for River…

Post your answers below. Yes, there’s a prize, and yes, I’m open to suggestions for a better segment name…

Vamos Boca…

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