Still a long way to go: Arruabarrena after Sudamericana semis | OneFootball

Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s Boca drew 1-1 with São Paulo at the Morumbi and, thanks to the 1-0 win earned at La Bombonera, advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana. With a goal from Leandro Lozano, the Xeneize are among the competition’s final four and will face Vasco da Gama for a place in the final.

El Vasco, true to his style, spoke at the press conference and, although he was happy “because we played a very serious match,” he was also cautious. The coach stressed that “this was a great opportunity” to “turn some situations around,” although he warned that there is still “a long way to go” before celebrating anything.

Boca’s celebration at the Morumbi. Photo: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images.

Regarding the 1-1 draw, Arruabarrena felt that São Paulo’s goal “came from a mistake,” but pointed out that “this is football” and “it can happen.” Happy about the qualification, he also did not hide his satisfaction with his players, whom he thanked “as a fan.”

Arruabarrena avoided controversies after reaching the semifinals

The opponent was not happy with the result, and the atmosphere at the Morumbi was far from ideal. The crowd was upset with the home side’s performance, and the tension spilled onto the pitch. Both the coach and the players left a regrettable image during the match and after the final whistle.

Arruabarrena preferred not to dwell on those situations. He explained that “I don’t like to talk” or “criticize the opponent,” and he also did not want to analyze the Brazilians’ performance, since “it would be disrespectful to talk about São Paulo.”

Leandro Lozano’s celebration. Photo: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images.

What’s next for Boca

The Xeneize will return to Buenos Aires on Wednesday morning, after their departure from the Morumbi was delayed. There will not be much time to rest, as Arruabarrena’s team have an important commitment in domestic competition.

On Sunday, September 20, starting at 2:45 p.m., they will visit San Lorenzo in the 2026 Torneo Clausura, in a key match to strengthen their position heading into the playoffs and in the annual table, where they are fighting for the title and qualification for next year’s Copa Libertadores.

Although there will be a FIFA international break, the blue and gold side will get no rest: Arruabarrena’s men will play the Copa Argentina quarterfinals against Racing. The match was expected to be in Córdoba, but everything now seems to indicate that it will be played at Rosario’s Gigante de Arroyito on Sunday, September 27, with kickoff time still to be confirmed.

Keep reading:

Boca’s player ratings in the qualification for the Sudamericana semifinal

When Boca will play again after qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana semifinal

Who Boca’s opponent will be in the Copa Sudamericana semifinal

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