Boca Juniors staged a dramatic comeback to beat Vasco da Gama 3-1 at the Maracanã on Tuesday, with Leandro Paredes scoring a late winner to send the Argentines into the Copa Sudamericana final – their first continental title chance since 2008.
Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit after losing at La Bombonera last week with a stirring performance.
Boca will play the final on November 21 in Barranquilla, Colombia, against either Brazilian side Atlético Mineiro or Uruguay’s Montevideo City Torque.
Mineiro hold a commanding 3-0 lead ahead of Wednesday’s second leg in Montevideo. And are widely expected to reach the final.
Paredes came off the bench in the 57th minute after racing to recover from injury and struck in the 88th to spare Boca a penalty shootout with a fierce long-range strike.
“It’s difficult to find the words to explain what I’m feeling,” said the midfielder, who helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“I can only thank this incredible group of players, who are giving everything they have, and more, to take this club to where it deserves to be,” he added.
Lautaro Di Lollo had given Boca the lead in the fourth minute, with Miguel Merentiel making it 2-0 in the 34th with a swift counter-attack. José Luis Rodríguez pulled one back for the hosts in the 66th minute.
One of South America’s biggest clubs, Boca have won the Copa Libertadores six times, the Sudamericana twice and the Intercontinental Cup three times. But they are still waiting to end a lengthy drought in continental competition, having last lifted the Recopa Sudamericana 18 years ago.
They return to the Sudamericana final for the first time in two decades, having won the competition back-to-back in 2004 and 2005. They now have the chance to become the first three-time champions in the tournament’s history.
While Brazilian clubs have dominated the Libertadores, winning the last seven editions, the Sudamericana has proved more resistant to the country's continental supremacy.
Athletico Paranaense were the last Brazilian side to win the trophy, in 2021. Since then, Ecuador's Independiente del Valle (2022) and Liga de Quito (2023), followed by Argentina's Racing (2024) and Lanús (2025), have been crowned champions.
Maracanã takeover
Vasco played in front of a packed Maracanã after winning a legal battle to secure the use of the iconic stadium.
Flamengo and Fluminense, the ground’s usual tenants, had opposed their neighbours hosting Boca there due to the state of the pitch. “Being a caretaker doesn’t make you the owner,” Vasco fans retorted on a banner.
But it was Boca who made themselves at home, taking an early lead when Di Lollo headed in from a corner.
Vasco pushed forward in search of a response, while Boca looked to exploit gaps on the counter-attack. They did not have to wait long for an opening.
A dreadful pass from Santiago Sosa sent Sebastián Villa through on goal, but defender Alan Saldivia got in the way of his shot.
Moments later, Saldivia made another costly mistake, miscuing his clearance. The ball fell to Villa, who played a long pass for Merentiel to finish superbly.
Vasco came out with renewed purpose after the break but couldn’t break the deadlock.
Paredes, whose participation had remained in doubt until the last moment, came on to add steel to Boca’s midfield. He had undergone specialist platelet-rich plasma treatment to speed his recovery from a muscle tear that had ruled him out of the first leg.
But Vasco pulled a goal back through Rodríguez, bringing the aggregate score to 2-2 and threatening to force extra time.
Paredes had other ideas. His long-range central swerving strike in the 88th minute found the net with help from goalkeeper Léo Jardim, sealing Boca’s place in the final.
“Although Léo could have done more, we are here to support him. He has saved us many times and I’m not going to abandon him,” Vasco coach Pedro Emanuel said.
“I have a group of intelligent players who want to make history,” Arruabarrena said, while insisting that his side had achieved “nothing” yet.
Atlético Mineiro, runners-up in the Sudamericana last year, are on course to face Boca in the final.
Coach Eduardo Domínguez has the team in their best form, despite key absences.
Their emphatic 3-0 win in Belo Horizonte has put them firmly in control of the tie, although surprise package City Torque have not given up hope.
“Uruguayan football is full of great feats ... so we’ll see,” said the Uruguayan side’s coach, Marcelo Méndez.
Wednesday’s second leg will be played at Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario, which will also host the Copa Libertadores final on November 28.
– TIMES/AFP
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