The extra hurdle Boca 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 trained 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 pace, bounce, and speed of play.

It is not the first time the Xeneize has come up against this type of setting. Something similar happens when it visits Palmeiras at Allianz Parque, a ground that has historically drawn criticism from players and coaches. Juan Román Riquelme had even pointed it out before 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 field is not natural grass, but a state-of-the-art synthetic surface that even has FIFA Quality Pro certification, the highest standard the organization grants for this type of field.

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

Even so, the differences are there 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 during the last few 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 carried out 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.