"There are a few finals to go"
Boca is solidly installed at the top of the Apertura tournament. There are three rounds to go to the end of the championship and Boca has a four-point edge on Estudiantes de La Plata, its closest escort.
On Sunday Boca will face Colón in the Bombonera. If the local team wins and Estudiantes should lose against Racing, Boca will have won the tournament title. Anyway, coach La Volpe prefers to think of each match as a final.
La Volpe spoke about everything in an interview granted to the newspaper Crónica. About Boca’s chance to be the champion, the criticism he met when he took over the team, the changes the team underwent during his tenure, his continuity as Boca’s coach and the violence that plagues soccer. What follows are the salient excerpts of the interview:
THE PATH TOWARD THE TITLE: "There are still a few finals to play… three games, nine points, in other words, three finals. Now the objective is this final against Colón”.
THE CRITICISM HE MET WHEN HE TOOK OVER: "I took it in my stride, I knew the risk I was taking when I shouldered this responsibility. Firstly, because I was conscious of the fact that if things turned out well it would be something I hadn’t done. The foundations of the team had been laid by another coach, Alfio Basile, it was he who set up this team. That was clear from the start. Maybe I tried to explain that I didn’t have any big changes in mind”.
THE TRANSFORMATION: "What I tried to do was to convince the player to add a plus to the squad. The team improved its performance as it went along and I practically ended with a 4-3-3 scheme. Although, in truth, this is deceptive, because instead of having the tactician play behind Palacio and Palermo, I shoved the twin to the right side. I was trying to have the team continue along its established soccer pattern, unfortunately today I’m faced with Guille’s injury. Now I’ll have to see what to do”.
BASILE: "Of course I respect Basile. He has an experience ten times greater than mine. I imagine that his philosophy is the same as mine, as Menotti’s, Saporiti’s, and even “Chiche” Sosa’s….. I know all this because I’ve been having a cup of coffee with them. I even know Merlo. Whenever I returned to the country I also talked to Russo”.
THE LIBERTADORES CUP: "We all want to win the Libertadores Cup. For that, reinforcements in some key positions will be necessary. We have a great squad, but some positions need to be reinforced. But for the time being I’m only thinking of the present tournament.
THE VIOLENCE: "It was evident that the security in the stadiums and fields was getting out of control. I don’t know how many people dare to take their kids to watch a soccer match, or their girlfriends or wives. In Mexico this doesn’t happen. You may see a kid wearing a shirt of Cruz Azul and next to him his brother with América’s jersey”.-
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