BUENOS AIRES (AP) — River Plate and Boca Juniors have been eliminated in the Apertura tournament quarterfinals, raising concerns over the form of two of Argentina’s richest teams ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.
River Plate, which has the league’s highest payroll at over $110 million, lost on penalties to Platense, a team valued at around $27 million. Boca Juniors was ousted earlier in the week after a loss to Independiente.
“We will work hard to not go to a penalty kick definition,” Millonarios coach Marcelo Gallardo said. “And If it comes down to that, the story should be different.”
A River Plate lineup featuring World Cup champions Franco Armani, German Pezzella and Marcos Acuna had been odds-on favorite to progress to the semifinals after entering the quarterfinals on a five-match winning streak.
“More than concerned, I am frustrated for not reaching the final,” Gallardo said. “Our rival played great and prevented us from doing what we have been doing.”
River Plate, which also lost in the Supercopa earlier in the year, will have to regroup ahead of a Copa Libertadores showdown next Tuesday against Universitario de Perú and then the Club World Cup starting June 15. The global tournament kicks off with Argentina great Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team taking on Egypt’s Al Ahly.
River Plate will open its Club World Cup campaign June 17 against Urawa Reds of Japan and then will face off against Inter Milan and Mexico’s Monterrey.
“As the tournament inches closer we will feel a special energy, the feeling of belonging with the elite,” Gallardo said. “I know that the match against the Mexican team will be special and will gather interest from our fans.”
Boca Juniors, with a squad worth around $93 million, is also going through tough times after being ousted from the Copa Libertadores and a loss to crosstown rival River Plate in the Argentine clasico.
All those failures led to the firing of coach Fernando Gago, and the team has yet to name a new coach.
Boca will play its first match of the Club World Cup against Portugal’s Benfica on June 16, and then will take on Bayern Munich and New Zealand’s Auckland City.
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