Miguel Borja is the name and surname that generates sensations this week. It's logical: scoring a goal in a Superclásico marks you. The Colombian was the cover of newspapers and portals and his definition with the inside of the right foot towards the left stick of Chiquito Romero went around the country and the world. Also, its celebration. And it was even a positive meme, in which they highlighted his inner peace by not getting into the scandal that was generated on the field of play after his score.
The goal he scored on Sunday at the Monumental was the goal Borja had been chasing. He had already done several since he put on the River jersey. But I needed an important one, one of those that remain in the collective memory forever. Therefore, he was not afraid to grab the ball and take charge of a hot penalty, at the end of the Superclásico. And so he got into the select list of Colombians to mark Boca, which already integrated Juan Pablo Angel, Radamel Falcao García, Juanfer Quintero and Rafael Santos Borré.
"I saw Miguel train well, have fun and score goals because the truth is that he has a great hierarchy. Then I decide to train differently because I have very good midfielders that give me a lot of dynamics, rotation and possession and I have to resign myself to removing Miguel from the starting lineup, "said Martin Demichelis about the performance of the Hummingbird.
The striker was aware of what he was experiencing when he stood in front of Romero. "I knew what I was playing for, what I was getting into. I tried to breathe deeply, I was clear that I was going to define there, "said the Colombian who after converting went to celebrate it in a corner and put on a shirt that said "The glory is from God."
But the glory of God must be helped. With sacrifice. And he knows it. Therefore, as things were not going as he wished, he redoubled his efforts. And for a few weeks, in addition to the practices with the River squad, he incorporated an extra routine. They train in turn to improve aspects that can be decisive to improve their level.
Borja goes to a specialized place, called Ácumen Sport, which works as a center for high-performance athletes, where other compatriots of the River striker passed, such as Falcao, Teo Gutiérrez and Rafael Borré.
There, the striker performs neurocognitive training. Borja – according to what the managers of the aforementioned sports center told Clarín – went there to work on decision-making and speed of response. That is, improve the reaction to certain circumstances. On the other hand, the Colombian will also do coaching exercises. The modality of these works aims to meet short, medium and long-term objectives.
These situations can be worked by performing different dynamics contextualized by their position and role within the court, where they have to decide and solve in the best way in the shortest possible time. Thus, Borja performs a meticulous preparation that covers technical facets, such as precision in passes and definition, ball control and back play, and neuroscientific, that is, reaction work in front of a screen.
With this work, the Hummingbird hopes to regain its best physical and football shape and, of course, the tenure it once had regularly. Taking out some specific matches, as was the one of Atlético Tucumán, when Micho decided to rotate before a week of Cup and Super; Newell's, in which he supplanted a Beltran with a lot of accumulated wear, and Racing de Córdoba, before which there was also rotation, Borja is not in the starting 11 since February: there were 12 games in which he went to the bench -in four he did not even enter-.
His numbers, on top, had not been the best this year: among the 640 minutes played, divided over 15 games, the nine coffee added four goals and an assist. The present did not accompany him, but trusting in his hierarchy, which made him arrive at the club as a figure, and his work -the one he does under the orders of Demichelis plus the extra-, that goal against Boca can be the kick of his recovery and to start an idyll with the fans of River. It is that the goals to the eternal rival mark you.
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