The night that Mexican soccer gave a masterclass to Argentina
Oh yes, on June 2, 2005. A date that Chivas fans remember with pride and those of Boca Juniors… well, they probably erased it from their memories like someone erasing an embarrassing hangover. The Jalisco Stadium became the scene of a football crime: a 4-0 that left the Argentine giant more naked than a politician on a campaign.
The game where Boca forgot that it had legs
Boca arrived with its aura of “greatness” and its reputation for “making La Bombonera beat.” But that night, the only heartbeat was his players trying to catch their breath after running after the ball… and the Chivas players, of course. What happened? Did they trust each other? Did they think they were playing against a second-rate team? Or perhaps, Benjamín Galindo simply served them a dose of reality with kicks included.
The first goal, by Johnny García, was like that first pull of the blanket that tells you: “this is going to hurt.” And boy did it hurt. Afterwards, Omar Bravo appeared to remind them that it was not a dream (or rather, a nightmare). But the real insult to Argentine pride came with the goals of Juan Pablo Alfaro and Adolfo “Bofo” Bautista. The latter, with a volley that left Roberto Abondanzieri more still than a statue in a public square, was the coup de grace. What did Jorge Vergara do in his box? Probably laughing like a soap opera villain while Boca cried in the corner.
20 years later: where was Mexican soccer in the Libertadores?
The ironic thing is that, two decades later, the Mexican teams in the Copa Libertadores are conspicuous by their absence. Since 2017, neither Chivas, nor America, nor anyone else has been able to emulate that greatness. Cruz Azul, Chivas and Tigres were one step away from the title, but it seems that Mexican soccer now prefers to fight for local tournaments than try to conquer America. Is it fear? Lack of ambition? Or simply, no one wants to suffer a ridicule like the one Boca experienced that night.
Meanwhile, Rebaño fans continue to remember that win as if it were yesterday. And those from Boca… well, they surely prefer to talk about Maradona.
Did you like this gem of football sarcasm? Share it on your networks and make more people remember (or suffer) this historic night. And if you want more analysis with acid humor, explore our content!
