Miguel Ángel Russo, the new coach of Boca, had mixed feelings about his team’s 2-2 draw with Benfica in the group C opener of the Club World Cup. He liked how organized they were in the first half, choosing the right moments to strike. But things got tough when he made substitutions – the players off the bench struggled to adapt. Despite this, Russo is happy with many aspects of their performance. He believes they held their own in the tournament and now need to keep improving.
The referee, Cesar Ramos, was a different story. Russo thinks the red card given to Figal in the 88th minute was harsh. Figal hadn’t played in a while and needed to get his rhythm back, but now he’ll be out. Russo also questioned the penalty that led to Benfica’s equalizer. He knows the referee and thinks he made a hasty decision. The same goes for the red card given to Herrera, who was on the bench, right before halftime.
Russo’s concerns about the refereeing didn’t end there. He also mentioned that Belotti from Benfica got ejected in the 72nd minute. At one point, Boca had a man advantage but failed to capitalize on it. Later, they found themselves a man down. Russo feels his team needs to learn how to handle the ball better, but he’s not losing sight of the fact that they faced a tough opponent.
The draw was a wild ride, with @FIFACWC tweeting about the intense moments, including Figal’s harsh tackle. All the games are available for free on https://t.co/fpfuiyzIoG, and fans can follow the action on the #FIFACWC and #TakeItToTheWorld hashtags. pic.twitter.com/4w4yM0idJx
Russo’s words echo the intensity of the match, as his team looks to bounce back from the draw. With the Club World Cup heating up, every game counts, and Boca will need to bring their A-game if they want to make it to the next round.