The extra complication Boca will face in their cup debut in Chile | OneFootball

Universidad Católica’s modern stadium features a disruptive playing surface that alters the usual conditions of the game. Aware of that factor, the squad prepared in Buenos Aires to acclimate to the setting it will face in Santiago.

Boca will make its Copa Libertadores debut tonight with a challenge that goes beyond the opponent itself. In addition to facing Universidad Católica, Claudio Úbeda’s team will have to adapt to an unusual condition in South American football: the synthetic turf at the modern Claro Arena, a surface that changes the rhythm, bounce, and speed of play.

It is not the first time Xeneize has encountered this kind of scenario. Something similar happens when it visits Palmeiras at Allianz Parque, a ground that has historically drawn criticism from players and coaches. Even Juan Román Riquelme had pointed it out ahead of the 2023 Libertadores semifinal: “We’re going to play on a carpet-like pitch, which is not the same game as playing on dirt. The ball bounces differently, it moves faster”.

The match will be played at Claro Arena, Universidad Católica’s renovated stadium (formerly San Carlos de Apoquindo), recently inaugurated and considered one of the most modern venues in the region. Its playing surface is not natural grass, but a state-of-the-art synthetic field that even has FIFA Quality Pro certification, the highest standard the organization grants for this type of pitch.

The particularity of this field is that it does not use the traditional rubber infill. Instead, the system is made up of crushed cork, an organic material chosen for ecological and performance reasons, aiming to offer behavior closer to natural grass. “The surface is similar to Botafogo’s pitch,” explained Juan Tagle, president of Cruzados, before its inauguration in August 2025.

Even so, the differences exist and can be felt during the match: the ball usually moves faster, first touches require greater precision, and rebounds tend to be livelier than on conventional grass.

Aware of that particularity, Boca took precautions in recent days in Buenos Aires. The coaching staff decided to hold the final training sessions on the synthetic turf fields at the Ezeiza training complex to begin acclimating the players to that type of surface.

In fact, Sunday’s football practice — in which Claudio Úbeda and the coaching staff finalized the starting eleven — was held precisely on that surface, seeking to replicate the conditions they will encounter tonight in Chile.

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