On the eve of argentina's first super derby showdown at the top of the Copa Libertadores, let's take a look at the past of Boca Youth and River Plate.
Football is popular around the world, and both the well-dressed middle class and the relatively poor working class are crazy about the sport. But at the same time as it spread, football naturally became the embodiment of class warfare.
Boca Juniors and River Plate aren't the only derby in the world known for their class antagonisms, but the match between the two teams is the brightest, most exciting and classic derby from any point of view.
Both teams came from the docks, the River Plate Athletic Club was founded in 1901 by the port wage earners in the Boca district of Buenos Aires, and boca juniors were founded four years later by Italian immigrants, but their signature blue-and-yellow colour schemes are somewhat casual, taken directly from the uniforms of Swedish crew members who happen to pass by.
The first match between the two sides began in 1908. The riverbed rose all the way thereafter, and in the mid-1920s it moved to the more affluent Núñez district. After the professionalization of the Argentine league in 1931, River Plate began to spend a lot of money on land, buying winger Carlos Peusele for a sky-high $10,000 at the time, and then introducing legendary striker Bernabé Ferreira for a staggering $35,000.
The tip of the needle is against Mai Mang
In the early days, the thousands of dollars also earned River Plate the nickname of "millionaire" and is still used today, and unconsciously, class division also came from this.
Generally speaking, Boca is seen as the representative of the "mud legs", while River Plate is the team of "decent people". Of course, supporters of both teams are not resistant to this definition, and even fight with peace of mind.
As River Plate first competed in the Copa Libertadores final in 1966, it lost 2-0 in the first leg to Uruguayan Club Penarol and eventually lost the match. Boca fans called River Plate galanas (chicks) to satirize their cowardice. River Plate diehards, on the other hand, counter Boca for chanchitos (piglets) and bosteros (fertilizer pickers).
Both fans and players are used to such opposition, with Boca legend Riquelme saying: "I don't want to wear any red or white clothes" – because that's the color scheme of River Plate's shirt.
Carlos Tevez made a classic provocative move since returning to his home team in 2015 – after scoring a goal in the derby, Tevez imitated the chicks flapping their wings. Because the move sparked a riot, he was shown a red card. Coincidentally, River Plate player Almeida was also sent off in 2011 for deliberately going to Boca fans to kiss the River Plate logo.
Not only the players, but also the fans enjoy this state of mutual ridicule. At the turn of the century, Boca fans put up posters in Buenos Aires listing musicians who had performed at River Plate's Monument Stadium, intending to satirize boca that River Plate could only listen to concerts without doing anything while winning the trophy. In response, River Plate fans made a giant inflatable pig in a Boca jersey.
Of course, this confrontational conflict can also become "excessive". Not long ago, after the two teams met in the Copa Libertadores final, a River Plate fan and a Boca junior fan fought over which team was stronger, which eventually evolved into an arson case.
River Plate's Monument Stadium is a well-known stadium that hosted nine matches at the 1978 World Cup and is home to many middle-class people.
Boca's Candy Box Stadium is a giant blue-and-yellow stadium of type D, and from toddlers to elderly people, the tremors of 100,000 working-class fans are enough to make any visiting team shudder.
The two stadiums have always been star-studded, with the vast majority of Argentina's world-class stars having been one of the two teams, and a considerable number of South American stars have also played for both giants.
Prominent and eternal
While River Plate was swinging cheques around to earn the nickname "Millionaire", Boca had already won six league titles. To this day, the two teams remain the strongest in the League One, with River Plate winning 36 titles and Boca 33. The third largest competitive team in the A-League has only 17 seats.
If the league title gives River Plate a greater sense of superiority, Boca will show off their apparent superiority in each other's record (10 more wins), plus Boca has an ace: they have won 6 Copa Libertadores, and River Plate is only half of them. Sounds a bit like Liverpool vs Manchester United, doesn't it? The only difference is that Boca has 4 Copa Libertadores lifted in this century, and carlos Bianchi has contributed 3 trophies.
Fortunately, River Plate won their third Copa Libertadores title in 2015, leaving the gap without widening further. The following finals are indeed crucial to some extent:
If Boca wins, the 7-3 advantage has more than doubled. At the same time, they also tied the record of their compatriots' independent teams winning the Copa Libertadores 7 times, although the legend of the latter winning all seven finals is difficult to replicate.
And if the riverbed folds the laurel, filling the gap of 6-4 seems to be just around the corner. Four Copa Libertadores will also allow them to shake off five South American giants such as São Paulo and Gremio and rank in the top five of the Copa Libertadores championship list.
Even though River Plate was briefly relegated in 2011, the title race in Argentina has become increasingly unpredictable (so far this season, Boca and River Plate are in 8th and 10th places, respectively). But the fight between the two teams has never subsided.
A hundred years ago, it was a symbol of the confrontation between the working class and the upper class; now, the super derby is only about hatred. We don't even have to worry about describing the excitement of the game, just cite the data: on average, 2,000 police patrol the stadium every derby.
Brawls, red cards (which occur on average every two games), and controversies are all part of the derby. A Boca vs. River Plate match, especially in the more popular candy box, is a must-experience of a lifetime. Standing in the stands, you can encounter anything.
Due to heavy rains postponing the match, the first leg of the Copa Libertadores will be held at 3:00 a.m. Beijing time on the 12th, and Boca Youth will sit at the candy box stadium to meet River Plate.
Here, too, we hope that this endless war will never end.
(Richard)