Boca Juniors trail Vasco da Gama 1-0 before Sudamericana semi-final second leg
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The gist
Vasco da Gama beat Boca Juniors 1-0 in the first leg of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana semi-final at La Bombonera.
Boca must win by two at the Maracanã to reach the final in regulation time.
Background
Boca Juniors are an Argentine club and two-time Sudamericana champions (2004, 2005) who entered this year's CONMEBOL Sudamericana (South America's second-tier continental club competition) after playing the Libertadores group stage. Coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena, a member of the club's golden era as a player under Carlos Bianchi, has had left-back Lautaro Blanco in all 22 matches since his return. The first-leg defeat at La Bombonera leaves Boca needing to overturn a deficit in the return at Rio's Maracanã, with captain Leandro Paredes recovering from a hamstring strain.
How it unfolded
- Oct 9, 2026Leandro Paredes suffered a grade 2 strain in his right hamstring during a 2-2 draw with Instituto Córdoba.
- Oct 13, 2026Vasco da Gama beat Boca 1-0 in the first leg at La Bombonera, Adson heading in a Carlos Andrés Gómez cross in the 25th minute; Gómez was sent off in the 64th.
- Oct 16, 2026Boca hosted Talleres de Córdoba in the Liga Profesional at La Bombonera, kick-off 21:30 ART.
- Oct 18, 2026Boca officially confirmed a contract extension for academy player Milton Delgado.
- Oct 19, 2026Delgado's contract was extended until December 2030 with a substantial pay rise, according to LaNumer12.com.ar.
- Oct 20, 2026Boca face Vasco in the semi-final second leg at the Maracanã, 21:30 Brasília time; Lautaro Blanco would reach 16 appearances in the competition, joint fifth on the club's all-time list with Merentiel.
Who’s saying what
- Coach
- Arruabarrena said of Blanco: "There are times when you worry about putting him on, but the truth is that he delivers. He played very well again today."
- Coach
- Arruabarrena said Blanco is "doing a great job, often going down the outside and, at other times, advancing through the middle."
- Player
- Forward Miguel Merentiel said "it's very important for the full-backs to get forward and deliver those dangerous crosses."
Still unverified
RTI Esporte reported that Paredes is progressing in his recovery and could return ahead of schedule; Boca are assessing whether he can return early without jeopardizing his recovery, and his training progress does not confirm a return.