2017 Supercopa Argentina

2017 Supercopa Argentina
Match programme cover
EventSupercopa Argentina
Boca Juniors River Plate
0 2
Date14 March 2018
VenueEstadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza
Man of the MatchFranco Armani (River Plate)[1]
RefereePatricio Loustau[2]
Attendance40,000[3]

The 2017 Supercopa Argentina was the sixth edition of the Supercopa Argentina, an annual football match played between the winners of the Argentine Primera División and Copa Argentina. The match was contested by the 2016–17 Primera División champions Boca Juniors and the 2016–17 Copa Argentina winners River Plate on 14 March 2018 at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza. Both teams were appearing in the competition for the third time.

Boca Juniors qualified as a result of winning the Argentine Primera División, finishing seven points ahead of the second-placed team. River Plate entered the competition after winning the Copa Argentina final against Atlético Tucumán 2–1.

Watched by a crowd of 40,000, Gonzalo Martínez opened the scoring for River Plate in the 18th minute of the match, thanks to a penalty awarded by referee Patricio Loustau. In the second half, their lead was further extended after Ignacio Scocco scored from a counter-attack, 20 minutes shy of injury time. With a 2–0 scoreline, River Plate secured the win for their first Supercopa Argentina title.

Background

Founded in 2012, the Supercopa Argentina was established as a contest between the Primera División champions and Copa Argentina winners, taking inspiration from its European variations.[4] The annual football match was originally meant for the champions of the latter competition and the Copa Campeonato, which paired the Torneo Inicial and Torneo Final winners, as single tournaments with only one champion per season were not held in Argentina.[5] The top division was later changed to have 30 teams compete during the 2015 season, effectively ending the purpose of the Copa Campeonato.[6] From that year onwards, whichever team won the league title would qualify for the Supercopa as the league reigning champions.

Boca Juniors entered the tournament by winning the Primera División, finishing seven points clear of second-placed rivals River Plate.[7] They had played two matches during the season, with either team winning at each other's home ground. Boca Juniors won 4–2 on Estadio Monumental, while River Plate earned a victory in La Bombonera following a 3–1 scoreline.[8] River Plate were the holders of the Copa Argentina, having won the final match of the tournament 2–1 against Atlético Tucumán, therefore ensuring their right to participate in the match.[9]

This was the first meeting between the two sides in the competition. Boca Juniors were appearing in the Supercopa Argentina for the third time. They had lost their previous two finals – the first one in 2012 when Arsenal de Sarandí beat them 4–3 on penalties, and later in 2015 against San Lorenzo after a 4–0 scoreline. It was also River Plate's third appearance in the tournament, as they were looking to win their first Supercopa title. They had already been denied the chance following defeats in the 2014 and 2016 editions against Huracán and Lanús respectively.[10]

It was only the second time in history that the two most relevant Argentine clubs were to face each other in the decisive match of a tournament. The only other time it had happened was over 41 years prior, when they were paired in the final fixture of the 1976 Argentine Primera División, which went 1–0 in favour of Boca Juniors.[11] Guillermo Barros Schelotto's team seemed to be the overwhelming favourite for the match.[12] Their recent showing in the 2017-18 Superliga Argentina was remarkable, leading the league with a record of 15 victories in 19 matches.[13] In total, the team had been leading the league for over 500 days.[14] River Plate had won only three of their last 16 league matches, and were 23 points behind the frontrunners.[15] The latest official match they had played between each other coming into the Supercopa was a 2–1 away win for Boca Juniors, corresponding to that league's eighth matchday.[16] Even though the odds of winning for Marcelo Gallardo's squad seemed scarce, he declared in a pre-match interview: "The moment in which the teams arrive won't matter. If there had to be a favorite it could be Boca Juniors. But even they know that's not going to be the case."[13]

Venue

It was confirmed on 7 February 2018 that the 2017 Supercopa would take place in the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza.[17] The match was originally scheduled to be hosted in the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba, but Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia announced that the venue was to be changed due to logistical reasons, just five weeks before the game was supposed to be held.[18] The poor condition of the field and a major road construction project going on near the stadium were later cited as the reasons for the replacement.[17]

The 42,000-capacity Estadio Malvinas Argentinas opened 14 May 1978. The stadium was built for the FIFA World Cup held in Argentina, during which it hosted six matches. It was also one of the eight venues selected for the 2011 Copa América, and had recently hosted the final of the 2016-17 Copa Argentina.[19]

Match

Summary

First half

River Plate kicked off the match at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas. They started to press high up the pitch, looking for ball control early in the game. Boca Juniors sat with composure, looking to exploit the slowness of the opposing defenders and waiting for any mistake that would leave their forwards a chance to score.[20] The match unfolded slowly and predictably, as River Plate's manager Marcelo Gallardo put Gonzalo Martínez, Ignacio Fernández, Enzo Pérez and Leonardo Ponzio to the task of man marking Wilmar Barrios, Edwin Cardona, Nahitan Nández and Pablo Pérez respectively. Exerting significant physical effort, the gameplan was to neutralize Boca Juniors' midfield so that risks from their ball possession would be avoided.[21] Nearing the 16th minute of play, a stray cross fell to Ignacio Fernández, who initiated a passing play with Martínez. The ball was left for him to shoot inside the area when he was brought down by Cardona.[20] Match official Patricio Loustau awarded the penalty, for which Martínez would take responsibility. He calmly slotted the penalty past goalkeeper Agustín Rossi to make it 1–0 18 minutes into the match.

River Plate proceeded to take further control of the game.[22] They solidified their position and looked comfortable, maintaining possession as they appeared the stronger side in that first half. Boca Juniors, on the other hand, had their weaknesses exposed. Their forwards were either not relevant or heavily defended, and there were no meaningful connections to be elabored from any of the midfielders.[21] They were unable to generate any danger, undoubtedly feeling the adversity of the scoreline.[22]

Second half

Boca Juniors kicked off and went all out in search of an equalizer.[22] They came close to achieving it just two minutes in, when Franco Armani stretched out to tip the ball out for a corner, after Pablo Pérez had sent a cross that Cristian Pavón managed to make contact with. 90 seconds later, a free kick sent by Cardona from the right landed on the edge of the six-yard box, where Lucas Pratto unintentionally deviated the ball for the net. Armani raised his left palm, preventing the own goal.[23] River Plate managed to fend off a better showing from their rivals based on a strong defensive effort.[24]

At the 24-minute mark, Cardona found Frank Fabra on the left, filtering a pass that ran through both Jonatan Maidana and Camilo Mayada. The Colombian full-back was left one-on-one against Armani, and he unravelled a low left-footed shot to the far post, which the keeper saved. Uruguayan midfielder Nández tried another low shot to the near post immediately after, to no avail, as it was also deflected by Armani.[23] The subsequent corner kick was taken, being cleared away by Ignacio Scocco, who saw Ignacio Férnandez coming in for the ball with momentum.[25] The midfielder ran down the pitch whlist he drove the counterattack, after which he laid the ball off to Gonzalo Martínez, who performed an inside cut that left his marker behind and sent a precise low cross for subbed in striker Scocco to finish in front of the net.[26] The remaining minutes were Boca Juniors' in terms of possession, although they lacked initiative and cohesive play.[20] River Plate sat back and waited for the final whistle, as the 2–0 scoreline was to be final.[27]

Details

Boca Juniors0–2River Plate
Report Martínez 18' (pen.)
Scocco 70'
Attendance: 40,000[3]
Boca Juniors[28]
River Plate[28]
GK 1 Agustín Rossi
DF 29 Leonardo Jara  72'
DF 2 Paolo Goltz
DF 6 Lisandro Magallán
DF 18 Frank Fabra  26'
MF 15 Nahitan Nández  42'
MF 16 Wílmar Barrios  39'
MF 8 Pablo Pérez (c)  80'
FW 7 Cristian Pavón
FW 32 Carlos Tevez  88'
FW 10 Edwin Cardona
Substitutes:
GK 1 Guillermo Sara
DF 3 Emmanuel Mas
DF 24 Julio Buffarini
DF 27 Santiago Vergini
MF 30 Emanuel Reynoso
FW 17 Ramón Ábila  72'
FW 22 Óscar Benítez
Manager:
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
GK 1 Franco Armani
DF 29 Gonzalo Montiel  54'
DF 2 Jonatan Maidana
DF 22 Javier Pinola  39'
DF 3 Marcelo Saracchi
MF 24 Enzo Pérez  65'
MF 23 Leonardo Ponzio (c)  9'
MF 26 Ignacio Fernández  48'
MF 10 Gonzalo Martínez
FW 7 Rodrigo Mora
FW 27 Lucas Pratto  67'
Substitutes:
GK 25 Enrique Bologna
DF 28 Lucas Martínez Quarta
MF 5 Bruno Zuculini  65'
MF 8 Juan Fernando Quintero
MF 18 Camilo Mayada  54'
FW 19 Rafael Santos Borré
FW 32 Ignacio Scocco  67'
Manager:
Marcelo Gallardo

Man of the match:
Franco Armani (River Plate)[1]
Assistant referees:[2]
Yamil Bonfá
Gustavo Rossi
Fourth official:[2]
Fernando Rapallini
Additional assistant referees:[2]
Facundo Tello
Ariel Penel

Match rules[29]

  • 90 minutes
  • No extra-time
  • Penalty shoot-out if necessary
  • Seven named substitutes, of which up to three may be used

Statistics

Post-match

Coach Marcelo Gallardo's stay as manager of River Plate was in question before the game, due to the poor results leading up to the match, as well as some of the transfers he had requested.[30] Gallardo addressed this discussion after the win, boasting with irony: "We knew how Boca Juniors played, but they didn't know how we would [...] It was part of the strategy to play badly these past two months in order to win the most important match we had this semester."[31]

In a later held press conference, Boca Juniors' Guillermo Barros Schelotto expressed his thoughts with disappointment: "They didn't dominate us, they didn't control the ball and they didn't have any scoring opportunities."[13] He explained further: “The defeat was unfair. They hardly ever threatened us. One goal was a penalty and the other a counter-attack. We're left angry about the result and because we couldn't give the fans something to cheer about.”[22]

The outcome of the Supercopa impacted both teams differently, causing a turning point especially for River Plate, who won seven and drew one of their last eight league fixtures.[13] They also went on to have an almost eight-month unbeaten streak, totalizing 32 consecutive games without a loss.[32] In turn, Boca Juniors only achieved 12 of their remaining 24 points in play.[13] Finishing just two ahead of runners-up Godoy Cruz, they won the 2017-18 Superliga Argentina, therefore qualifying for the following season's Copa Libertadores.[33] River Plate finished in eighth position, but would eventually enter the tournament after winning the 2018 Copa Libertadores, when they also beat Boca Juniors 5–3 on aggregate in the two-legged final.[34]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "River Plate keeper Franco Armani wears Burger King crown after Super Cup win". ESPN. 15 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "Patricio Loustau será el árbitro de la Supercopa". afa.com.ar. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Se detalló el operativo de seguridad para la Supercopa Argentina". Copa Argentina. 12 March 2018.
  4. ^ "La corta historia de la Supercopa Argentina". ESPN.com.ar (in Spanish). 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  5. ^ Volante, Developed by Mueva el. "Así es la Supercopa Argentina". Copa Argentina / Web oficial de la Copa Argentina (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  6. ^ "PROYECTO DEL CAMPEONATO DE PRIMERA DIVISION 2015" (PDF). www.afa.org.ar. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  7. ^ "Argentina 2016/17". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  8. ^ "La ventaja en los clásicos, decisiva para el título - TyC Sports". www.tycsports.com. 2017-06-20. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  9. ^ Volante, Developed by Mueva el. "River 2 - Atlético Tucumán 1 (9 de diciembre de 2017)". Copa Argentina / Web oficial de la Copa Argentina (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-21.
  10. ^ "Superclásico final 42 años después" (in Spanish). Olé. 9 December 2017. Archived from the original on 11 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  11. ^ "River Plate conquista la Supercopa argentina". CONMEBOL (in European Spanish). 2018-03-15. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  12. ^ "Las únicas dos finales en la historia entre Boca y River: del gol fantasma de 1976 a la Supercopa de 2018 | Goal.com Argentina". www.goal.com (in Spanish). 2018-11-18. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  13. ^ a b c d e en, Seguir (2018-05-15). "La final que cambió el semestre: tras la Supercopa, River fue el mejor del torneo y Boca pasó de líder a 10°". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  14. ^ Barreiro, Ramiro (2018-03-14). "Boca y River definen la Supercopa con el regreso del fútbol con dos hinchadas". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  15. ^ en, Seguir (2018-05-15). "La final que cambió el semestre: tras la Supercopa, River fue el mejor del torneo y Boca pasó de líder a 10°". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  16. ^ "La historia de Enzo Pérez en el Superclásico: protagonismo en unos Boca vs. River imborrables". ESPNdeportes.com (in Spanish). 2025-11-06. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  17. ^ a b "La Supercopa Argentina será en Mendoza". ESPN.com.ar (in Spanish). 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
  18. ^ "Pasión mata desorganización: Boca, River y AFA quedaron expuestos por la Supercopa | Goal.com Argentina". www.goal.com (in Spanish). 2018-03-09. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
  19. ^ "El Estadio Malvinas Argentinas cumple 44 años". www.mendoza.gov.ar. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
  20. ^ a b c Barreiro, Ramiro (2018-03-15). "River le gana una final a Boca 42 años después y es campeón de la Supercopa". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  21. ^ a b BBVA (2018-03-15). "Supercopa: River ganó la final y festejó porque Boca no supo cómo jugarla". BBVA NOTICIAS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  22. ^ a b c d "A cinco años del triunfo de River ante Boca por la Supercopa". ESPN.com.ar (in Spanish). 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  23. ^ a b Clarín, Redacción (2018-03-15). "Las tapadas de Franco Armani, claves para la victoria". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  24. ^ Volante, Developed by Mueva el. "River venció a Boca y se consagró en la Supercopa Argentina". Copa Argentina / Web oficial de la Copa Argentina (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  25. ^ Olé, Diario Deportivo (2018-03-14). "Scocco relató cómo fue su gol". Olé (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  26. ^ "Boca 0-2 River Plate (14 de Mar., 2018) Análisis del partido - ESPN (AR)". ESPN (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  27. ^ Volante, Developed by Mueva el. "River venció a Boca y se consagró en la Supercopa Argentina". Copa Argentina / Web oficial de la Copa Argentina (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  28. ^ a b c "Boca 0-2 River Plate (14 de Mar., 2018) Resultado Final". espn.com.ar. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  29. ^ ""SUPERCOPA ARGENTINA" – REGLAMENTO" (PDF). Asociación del Fútbol Argentino. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  30. ^ en, Por Loana VieraSeguir (2018-03-15). "Gallardo, una mente brillante que golea a la veleidad nacional". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  31. ^ en, Seguir (2018-03-15). "La ironía de Marcelo Gallardo que desconcertó a los periodistas en la conferencia de prensa". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  32. ^ Olé, Diario Deportivo (2018-10-19). "El invicto quedó en Banda". Olé (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  33. ^ "Argentina 2017/18". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
  34. ^ "Así quedó la clasificación a la Copa Libertadores 2019 de los equipos de Argentina | Goal.com Argentina". www.goal.com (in Spanish). 2018-12-09. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
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