Boca Juniors suffers 3-0 defeat, Arruabarrena takes full responsibility

Boca Juniors fell 3-0 to Deportivo Riestra in their opening match of the Torneo Clausura, a result coach Rodolfo "Vasco" Arruabarrena described as "un baño de realidad" (a reality check) and a heavy blow. Source: clarinSource: infobae

The defeat

Arruabarrena admitted his team's defensive fragility: "En la primera parte me preocupó la parte defensiva. Nos llegaron tres veces y nos hicieron tres goles." Source: clarin He also lamented the lack of offensive spark in the second half, stating the team did not have "ese ímpetu para ir a buscar un gol." Source: clarin The coach attributed the poor performance partly to a packed schedule, noting that players had less than 60 hours of recovery after a Copa Sudamericana match against O'Higgins. Source: clarin

Arruabarrena's response

The coach explicitly accepted blame: "El principal responsable soy yo." Source: clarin He emphasized that the loss was not due to a lack of a center forward, as the club is searching for a striker. Source: infobae Arruabarrena expressed concern about the team's ability to bounce back, saying "Preocupa que no sepamos levantarnos de estas derrotas, sería una estupidez que nos haga más daño del que nos hizo." Source: infobae

Looking ahead

Arruabarrena already turned his attention to the upcoming Copa Sudamericana return leg against O'Higgins, where Boca must overturn a 1-0 deficit. Source: clarin He stressed the importance of not repeating such errors: "No podemos repetir estos errores. Estamos en Boca y no podemos tener un partido como el que tuvimos hoy." Source: infobae