Boca»s Juan Manuel Martínez (r) fights for the ball with Gimnasia»s Maximiliano Coronel.
Comes from behind to draw 1-1 with Gimnasia at home
Boca Juniors, playing with the pink jersey for the first time, wrapped up the first half of the Argentine season with a lackluster 1-1 draw against Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata at La Bombonera stadium.
Boca Juniors closed a poor year with a 1-1 home draw with Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata yesterday, wearing the controversial pink jersey for the first time.
At La Bombonera stadium, Carlos Bianchi’s team played a disappointing first half, but woke up un the second with Fernando Gago as the playmaker.
Gimnasia relied on a solid performance by midfielder Fernando Mussis, who scored for the visitors and was the key player of the match.
The team coached by Pedro Troglio was the best side and gave a lot of work to Boca’s goalkeeper Agustín Orión during the whole game.
Gimnasia went ahead in the 37th minute when Facundo Oreja stole the ball from Juan Sánchez Miño and passed the ball to the front. Mussis took control of it and scored with a fierce shot.
Emmanuel Gigliotti equalized for the host in the 49th with a header after goalkeeper Fernando Monetti’s mistake.
It was the first time in the tournament that Boca used the pink jersey, which was criticized by fans and even players.
Last month, Boca star Juan Román Riquelme, who is injured and was not part of yesterday’s team, had refused to use the pink jersey in the team’s match against Rosario Central. After threats painted on the club’s walls, Boca used the classic blue and gold jersey.
Bianchi’s team accumulated four matches without victories and finished the year in seventh place with 29 points.
Earlier, Estudiantes de La Plata suffered a 2-0 defeat at home against Tigre in their last round of the Initial Tournament.
Pablo Vitti put the visitors ahead in the 14th minute and Matías Pérez García doubled the difference in the 54th.
Referee Luis Álvarez sent off Estudiantes captain Juan Sebastián Verón just after the midfielder was replaced by Maximiliano González as he insulted Álvarez.
Also, Gastón Fernández, who was banned by FIFA for four months, returned to Estudiantes’ first team. He entered in the second half.
After the game, the 38-year-old Verón said that he has not decided yet if he will continue playing or not. “I’m going to take some time to think about that,” he said.
Quilmes and River Plate were playing last night at press time.
Herald with agencies
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