by Juan Arango

Created on: February 17, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Argentine Apertura Preview- Boca Juniors vs. Rosario Central

Referee: Federico Beligoy
Venue: Estadio Alberto J. Armando "La Bombonera"

The fact that both squads come off victories in their respective season openers, the spotlight will be on Juan Romn Riquelme to Boca Juniors. The out of favor Villarreal star decided to return to his native Argentina after a fallout with coach Manuel Pellegrini and the incorporation of Chilean star Matas Fernndez to the club. He now faces an uphill battle to regain form and be able to come out on top of the situation. Once he rejoined Boca, fans began to dream of "doubles" as he will play both fronts. For the club anything less than a Libertadores title will not suffice. Their debut match against Bolvar in the altitude of La Paz was a test where they obtained a point, although more should have been gained.

Nestor Gorosito's club struggled mightily in the beginning of the Apertura tournament but bounced back to end on the top half of the standings. The big question mark could be that of their offensive firepower up front as they lost both Marco Ruben and Paulo Csar Wanchope during the off-season.

El Topo Returns
After a 63-day absence from the football pitches in Spain, Juan Romn Riquelme was confirmed as a starter with Boca for the first time since he left for Barcelona five years ago. The Xeneize nation and Miguel Angel Russo are content to finally have that creative midfielder that was absent all throughout the entire Apertura tournament.

Boca Juniors: (4-3-1-2) Mauricio Caranta, Hugo Ibarra, Jonatan Maidana, Daniel Daz, Claudio Morel Rodrguez; Sergio Orteman, Sebastian Battaglia, Nery Cardozo; Juan Romn Riquelme, Rodrigo Palacio, Martn Palermo

Rosario Central: (4-4-2) Cristian Alvarez; Ricardo Moreira, Ariel Garc, Damin Ledesma, Juan Azconzbal; Leonel Ros, Diego Calgaro, Cristian Gonzlez; Angel Di Mara, Emilio Zelaya

Watch Out!
Boca Juniors- Martn Palermo: Who can ever forget those two goals that he scored against Real Madrid in the 2001 Intercontinental Cup. Riquelme was the man behind those assists. He could be the man benefited from the club's latest incorporation, and he could begin to bag goals at a furious rate once again. Rodrigo Palacio, who is slowly rounding back into form, could be the beginning of a beautiful association. Also expect Nery Cardozo to really fall into place in his role as he will not have the responsibility of distribution fall solely on his shoulders.

Rosario Central- Kily Gonzlez: Kily will make his return to La Bombonera after an 11-year absence, he will wear the same colors but be playing for another team. He is the heart and soul of the Canallas and he will make things work or not on the offensive side. One player that has really showed promise is U-20 international Angel Di Maria who could cause some trouble for Boca's backline.

Prediction
Don't expect Boca to be the high-flyers that they were during the Basile era just yet. Riquelme does not have the pace that Federico Insa did. Riquelme will definitely be showing signs of rust, but he will definitely be a contributing factor. Although Andres D'Alessandro's comments could light a fire in his belly and cause him to go ballistic.

Rosario Central's offense is not as solid as it was last year as their two leading scorers (Ruben and Wanchope) are no longer with the club. Boca is way too strong for Rosario, and being at home is an additional bonus for the Xeneize.

Boca 3-1 Rosario Central

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