a reason for hope and the role of “hook and toe”

The first presentation of Diego Martinez: Boca beat 1-0 Gymnastics and Shooting in Salta with a very good initial stage and an opaque complement.

They have the right to get excited Boca fans, of course. After all, fans of all the teams in the world do it when a new year dawns. But those of Boca have an extra reason: the arrival of a coach, Diego Martinez, without a great poster, although with good references. And in his debut we began to see something of what the 45-year-old coach is looking for: an essentially offensive team.

First it is worth saying that Gymnastics and Jump Shooting, who is preparing to play the First National, was not a strong rival. Furthermore, the Salta team on Friday night had played another friendly (with other footballers) against Gimnasia y Esgrima in Jujuy.

But leaving that aside, and the terrible state of Father Ernesto Martearena’s playing field (shortly after the duel was interrupted so that an assistant went in to cover a hole in the middle of the field), Boca’s performance was good . And offensive. And even at times showy, aesthetic.

As announced this week, Martínez opted for a 4-3-1-2, with Ezequiel Bullaude as a hitch and Miguel Merentiel and Luca Langoni up front. In the middle, Campuzano was the axis with Pol Fernández on the right and Juan Ramírez (who curiously is always in the coaches’ debuts) on the left.

What was observed? That the interiors played closer to Bullaude than to Campuzano. The image of Pol taking the ball from the midfielder’s feet was not repeated. With that idea, Boca made sure populate the rival area more.

The Xeneize attacks were good, and massive. There is another point to highlight. On a couple of occasions, Advíncula sent the center after reaching the bottom and there were five Boca players who were in a finishing position. Quite a fact.

Bullaude is not hooking, but floated behind the attackers and he did it well. “We call it hitch and kick,” Martínez summarized after the match. In that sector he stood out in Godoy Cruz. His characteristic is to reach the goal more than to connect with the attackers. At 8 minutes he crossed a cross behind Langoni to make it 1-0.

Boca generated many dangerous situations in the first half. Merentiel was not fine: he failed in two very clear situations. Langoni’s performance was very good, as he moved throughout the attack front. Martínez’s intention is not to confine him to any of the wings and take advantage of his speed. The recurring theme for the youth team is injuries: he left at halftime as a precaution.

Boca deployed with the full-backs at the same time because the rival allowed it. We will have to see what happens with a team with greater offensive weight. Marcelo Saracchiwhich relegated the bank to Frank Fabrascored a great ball for Langoni in Bullaude’s goal.

In defense, Cristian Lema He came in for the injured Marco Rojo and did not suffer. Yes, he showed that he has a huge aerial presence: he was close to the goal in the initial stage with two headers, one of which was cleared off the line by a local footballer.

Martínez did not like the complement of his team. She kept shaking her head in discomfort. The players became tired, perhaps as a result of the preseason pace, and the seven substitutions conspired to make the game process slower and uglier. Martínez will stay with the initial 45 minutes. And from there he will work.

“The sensations were good, especially in passages of the first half. The team had volume of play, intensity, intention to finish plays; in a short time of work I value the predisposition of the group, they respected Gimnasia y Tiro. It is a good start” , said the former coach of Huracán and Tigre.

Regarding the injury of captain Marcos Rojo during the warm-up, the strategist expressed: “Marcos is angry and sad. He really wanted to be there, but now we will have to analyze it and do the studies, let’s see what those studies show. He is our captain , our leader and I hope it is as less serious as possible,” he said.

“The logical difference that must be between the teams was marked above all in the first half and part of the second. Then, the fatigue, the trip and the week of preparation made us not finish as we would have liked, but it is normal because the moment we are in,” the technical director analyzed in statements to ESPN

“I am very happy for Juan (Ramírez)’s game, also for Ezequiel (Bullaude) in that hitch and tip function“As we tell him, he understood it very well,” he added.

“In general terms we are happy with this start and above all for what these two weeks of work and the predisposition have been like. Sometimes you need a lot, because of the way of working, the commitment of the boys and the truth that they are doing it wonderfully, that generates very good expectations for us,” Martínez concluded