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The story of Arsenal de Sarandí, Boca & Argentina’s fervent passion for the game

By Sam Dobniewski ⋅ June 3, 2007 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Fecha: Domingo 13 de Mayo 2007
El Partido: Club Atlético Boca Juniors 1y1 Arsenal de Sarandí
Torneo: Clausura
Cancha: de Boca (La Bombonera), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Publico: 50,000

Inspired by Arsenal back home in 1957, Arsenal de Sarandí are the smallest of three clubs sharing the location of Avellenda, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

Having spent many years in the shadows of their two main rivals – Independiente & Racing Club - Arsenal’s dramatic rise up the football pedestal came to fruition in 2002 with promotion to Argentina’s top-flight. They also went on to reach the quarterfinals of the Copa Sudamerica just two years later.

Since then, the club has never looked back and have gone from strength to strength. Arsenal are not here to make up the numbers, nor are to be whipping boys for the bigger clubs. Instead, years of hard work and patience has been the story behind their success, and whilst their two so-called ‘bigger’ rivals flounder at the bottom end, for Arsenal and their small band of supporters, the fairytale lives on.

Ironically, the Arsenal shirt was purposely designed in the colours of the two neighbouring clubs. All the founder members were supporters of either Racing or Independiente, which is when they decided to combine the shirt colour with the blue of Racing and the famous red of Independiente.

They are nicknamed “El Arse” – the club were given their name after being inspired by a successful campaign from their English namesake in 1957. The two brothers, who came up with the idea to form the club, once admitted their love for the English game, at a time, when Arsenal FC dominated British football. This prompted the brothers into calling their newly-formed club “Arsenal” and have stuck with the name ever since. The second part of their name “Sarandi” is the area where the club is situated.

Name-cloning is far from unknown territory in South America, and across the River Plate in Uruguay, you’ll find a club with the name Liverpool, whilst Chile have their very own version of Everton.

English football continues to be very closely followed in South America, no more so than in Argentina.

Boca are often described as being the continents most notorious club, having won many major domestic and international league and cup titles throughout their history. The club are also famously supported by “El Diego” who remains an idolised figure, not only in the eyes of supporters of Boca, but by the whole of Argentina. There is even a museum at the ground in dedication to the man himself.

The area of La Boca remains a low working-class neighborhood that is homed to many Italian immigrants who moved to Argentina in 1902. Boca are often referred to as “Los Xeneizes” which means “The Genoese”. The name came to status following the emergence of the immigrants, most of who relocated from the Italian city of Genova.

Tourists over the years have seen La Boca as a major attraction in Buenos Aires. The colour theme is a tradition that has been carried on through many generations. It has become something of a custom for all house and shop owners to decorate their properties in the colours of blue and yellow as a sign of commitment to their local club.

The Boquense passion is of a unique variety, and matchdays at the La Bombonera (Spanish term for ‘the chocolate box’) often brings out every ingredient imaginable – colour, paper, noise, flares, riots and hardcore levels of non-stop singing, dancing and drum banging on the terraces.

Avalanches of blue and golden fanatics create a frenzied atmosphere, proceeding to let off fireworks and flares in the stands, whilst others attempt to climb the protective pitch side fencing like crazed monkeys in a cage.

Nothing short of what you’d expect from a game in the chocolate box, where high voltage of passion sends shock waves swirling through the streets of Buenos Aires.

BANG, BANG, BANG… The Bombonera exploded into a wild blaze of noise as the teams came running out of their separate smartie-tube-like tunnels and onto the pitch.

By this stage, the pitch was covered in confetti and little white pieces of paper leaving it looking more like an ice-rink.

The game kicked-off, with both sets of supporters continuing to raise the noise levels.

Neither side were able to stamp their authority on proceedings in the opening stages, with chances few and far between.

Even the inspiration of Juan Román Riquelme in midfield could not muster the magic the game craved.

Boca were on top in terms of possession for the first 20 minutes, but lacked creativity in the final third, gradually bringing Arsenal more into the game as play went on. The hosts lost their penetration and excellent passing from the visitors took Boca out the game.

The match appeared short on flare with both defences canceling each other out as half-time approached. The second period started with more urgency, with the crowd continuing in fine voice. However, despite Boca making a more vibrant start to the second half, Arsenal shocked their hosts with a goal that came from nothing.

Carlos ‘CASTEGILONE’ trapped the ball from a set-play before firing low and hard into the right hand corner beyond Mauricio Caranta, sending the small traveling army into raptures. The goal prompted the manager of Boca, Miguel Russo, to change their style of play and with the introduction of Barcelona-bound striker Rodrigo Palacio as a 56th-minute sub, Boca started to look more threatening going forward.

Boca’s link-up play became more apparent and with Riquelme and Palacio running the show, it was to little surprise when an equalizer eventually did come.

A well-worked move started by Martin Palermo sent Palacio down the left and after beating his man, delivered an exquisite cross that was powerfully met by the head of ‘RIQUELME’. All-square and La Bombonera was rocking.

The goal sparked new life into Boca, who threw everything at their visitors in hope of a late winner; Palacio twice struck the woodwork in the dying stages, before Palermo failed to direct his injury time header on-target.

The draw didn’t do either side any favours after the league’s two other title challenges San Lorenzo and River Plate played out a 0-0 draw earlier in the day, but Boca remained in the title hunt amidst their unique, exceptional fans.

Boca: Mauricio Caranta; Hugo Ibarra, Matías Silvestre, Claudio Morel Rodríguez, Clemente Rodríguez; Nicolás Bertolo (ST 11m Ever Banega), Pablo Ledesma, Neri Cardozo (ST 33m Jesús Dátolo); Juan Román Riquelme; Bruno Marioni (ST 11m Rodrigo Palacio) y Martín Palermo.

Arsenal: Mario Cuenca; Javier Gandolfi, Carlos Ruiz, Carlos Casteglione, Ibrahim Sekagya; Luis Figueroa, Andrés San Martín, Jorge Ortiz (ST 30m Andrés Pérez), Javier Yacuzzi; Santiago Raymonda (ST 38m Cristian Llama); Mauro Obolo (ST 33m Lucas Valdemarín).

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