Vasco to face Boca Juniors, led by World Cup winner, with Enner Valencia struggling | OneFootball

According to Globo.com, Vasco will face Boca Juniors in the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals in October, first in Argentina then in Rio de Janeiro, after Boca eliminated São Paulo at Morumbis.

Boca have been inconsistent in recent years, hence their Sudamericana berth after a Conmebol Libertadores group-stage exit, but 2026 has brought 19 wins, 14 draws and eight defeats in 41 games.

Since the World Cup, Rodolfo Arruabarrena, nicknamed Vasco, has been in charge. He is 13 matches unbeaten and, though many fans still find displays unspectacular, he has added consistency compared with Claudio Úbeda.

Domestically they are fifth in Group A of the Clausura with 14 points from nine matches. They lose rarely but draw often, five so far, the most in the competition.

Leandro Paredes is the key figure. The 32-year-old, formerly of Roma, Juventus and PSG, left European football in good physical shape to rejoin his boyhood club, and performances have improved since.

Centre-back Di Lollo is strong in the air but limited on the ball. Milton Delgado features alongside Tomás Aranda, who is injured and will miss the ties, while winger Leonel Flores assisted against São Paulo.

Enner Valencia, formerly of Internacional, signed recently but has yet to impress. He remains a substitute and recent displays have not convinced supporters.

La Bombonera is one of South America’s most storied stadiums. Capacity is just over 57,000 and Boca are renowned for a fervent fanbase.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”