Rodolfo Arruabarrena after qualifying: analysis, one sub, market, more | OneFootball

Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s remarks left plenty to talk about after Boca’s hard-fought qualification for the Copa Sudamericana round of 16. The Xeneize side beat O'Higgins on penalties after losing 1-0 over the 90 minutes, securing their place in the next round of the continental competition.

The club from La Ribera endured a night of pure tension in Rancagua. Despite the advantage earned in the first leg, the team never found its footing and lost by the narrowest of margins in regulation time. Fortunately, their accuracy from the penalty spot allowed the blue-and-gold institution to seal a 4-3 win and advance, where they will face Paraguay’s Recoleta.

Although the final result brought relief, the team’s overall performance raised alarm bells ahead of the upcoming matches. The midfield, which has the class and passing ability of Leandro Paredes, failed to keep up the tempo against an opponent that controlled much of the match. The club’s historic standards do not allow it to be satisfied with merely advancing without showing a clear identity. Boca’s head coach made that clear at the press conference held at El Teniente Stadium.

Boca secured qualification on penalties.

Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s blunt assessment

"We had to go through. I didn’t like the way we did it; we suffered through the match after the first 10 or 15 minutes," he said bluntly. He made it clear that, although they created a few chances late on, the opponent was the clear dominator. "I’m self-critical, and we know that playing this way, there will be very few victories we can achieve," he added, lamenting the team’s sloppiness and lack of boldness on the ball.

The pressure of wearing this shirt demands protagonism, and the dressing room felt the impact of the poor performance. "I’m not happy, we’re not happy, and the players aren’t either; they’re happy about qualifying, but not about the performance," he admitted. He also acknowledged the urgent need to improve through hard work: "We’ve been through very tough times, and being eliminated today would have been a huge blow for everyone."

The Vasco’s explanation for the only substitution

The flow of the match forced a rethink of the setup, but the lack of alternatives raised questions. "Before their goal, I made just one substitution (Leonel Flores came on for Sebastián Villa); I saw that the team had absorbed the blow and that we were handling it well," he explained, defending the tactical decision. He also clarified that the away goal came from a set piece and not from a failure in transition, although he admitted there was a lack of pressure and the lines needed to stay closer together.

The transfer market

One of the most urgent issues in Boca’s world is the final shaping of the squad, especially in light of unexpected medical setbacks. On that matter, the message was forceful and directed straight at the board’s ongoing efforts: "Together with the president, we are analyzing some options. If Adam’s recovery process is a long one, we’ll go looking for a number nine." In this way, he confirmed that the board is working against the clock to add attacking firepower if circumstances require it.

Keep reading:

Boca’s player ratings in the hard-fought qualification against O’Higgins

When Boca will play again after qualifying for the Sudamericana round of 16

Who Boca’s opponent will be in the Sudamericana round of 16

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.