Boca's forwards did not measure up in the Superclásico, but all the criticism will point to
Edinson Cavani
.
Due to his decade-long career in European football and his performance of more than 400 goals (the count includes his participation in the Uruguayan National Team), the 37-year-old forward born in Salto is a great disappointment.
He scored 3 goals in 20 games
played in the blue and gold shirt and he hasn't screamed in 532 minutes.
The last one was in October, in the semifinal with Palmeiras.
Since then, injuries on the sidelines, he couldn't convert.
Much despite the support of
Juan Román Riquelme
and
Diego Martínez
.
The coach pondered it in the press conference, perhaps seeking to boost the spirit of a footballer who had an extraordinary career, but today is going through a critical moment, far from that expectation that he had generated when he arrived on the banks of the Riachuelo.
And he did an extensive analysis.
“
I took him out because I felt he was tired
.
For me, he is a sensational footballer.
Edison is amazing.
He is not converting, but he is already going to convert.
What he works on.
He trains like he plays the games.
He is the first to arrive, the last to leave.
He is hyperprofessional.
He demands them all.
He is in all the details,” stated the coach.
“And someone who has the desire to grow in this profession that he loves, having a player of this category, of the career that he has, is first of all a pleasure and a great learning experience.
He's missing the goal, he's going to do it.
The forwards live from the goal.
But for me, a player is much more integral, he is giving us a lot of other things that we cannot enjoy because he understands that the forward has to score the goals,” he added.
Cavani watched the last 35 minutes from the bench.Photo: REUTERS
The truth is that, beyond Martínez's complimentary words, we must refer to the Uruguayan's performance on the green grass.
The numbers are as unquestionable as they are lapidary:
Cavani did not kick on goal in the entire match
.
In addition, he touched the ball 21 times with 13 of 17 accurate passes (76%), but none of them transcendent.
He hit a long ball, which was a change of direction for Luis Advíncula, he won two duels from below and one from above, he lost possession 5 times and was fouled.
In the run-up, the fans made him feel the rigor and
shouted “goal” every time he touched the ball in the pre-competitive warm-up
.
In 66 minutes, he hardly intervened.
Neither did Miguel Merentiel, who touched the ball more times (29), but was less precise (9 of 15, 60%).
At least
his compatriot made a key pass
, but his statistics were also poor.
Of course, unlike Edi, he scored 3 goals in 7 games.
Cavani went back a lot to connect the ball
, a sign that the game was not coming to him.
But the demand is in the area and in its habitat it does not respond.
Cavani fights with Paulo Díaz.
Maxi Failla
Darío Benedetto entered two minutes from the end.
He fought a ball against the corner flag and committed an infringement.
His entry seemed like a spasm from Martínez, a hunch that was unsuccessful because Pipa did not even have time to finish at Franco Armani's goal.
Boca's three “9” are not in a great moment.
And neither do those who accompany.
The entry of Luca Langoni was not the shock that Martínez expected.