Boca beats Vasco da Gama, goes on to Copa Sudamericana final
A last-ditch goal by captain Leandro Paredes earned the Xeneize its third trip to the tournament final La entrada Boca beats Vasco da Gama, goes on to Copa Sudamericana final se publicó primero en Buenos Aires Herald .
Boca Juniors secured their place in the Copa Sudamericana final after defeating Brazil's Vasco da Gama 3-1 in Tuesday's semifinal at the Maracanã Stadium. The match concluded with an aggregate score of 3-2 for Boca, following their 1-0 home loss in the previous week. The winner of the series between Atletico Mineiro and Montevideo City Torque from Uruguay will now face Boca in the final.
Boca made an early impact with a goal from defender Lautaro Blanco in the fourth minute, followed by a second goal in the 34th minute thanks to a poor clearance by a Vasco defender, allowing winger Sebastián Villa to set up striker Miguel Merentiel for a one-on-one. The tide turned in the 66th minute when a defensive error by Vasco's Lautaro Di Lollo gave striker José Luis Rodríguez a clear shot, leveling the score at 1-2.
The Brazilian team responded in the 88th minute with a goal from team captain Leandro Paredes, who scored Boca's decisive third goal unmarked.
Post-match, Paredes expressed his pride at playing at the Maracanã for the fourth time in his career, with his previous wins coming for the Argentine national team, the Copa America final in 2019, and the 2021 Copa America and 2023 World Cup Qualifiers against Brazil. He hailed his teammates as heroes for their outstanding performance and emphasized the team's ambition to win the final.
Boca will now face the victor of the other semifinal between Brazil's Atletico Mineiro and Uruguay's Montevideo City Torque. The Brazilian team won 3-0 in their series opener, which took place at home. Their final clash is scheduled for Wednesday at the Centenario Stadium in Uruguay. The championship decider is set to be played at the Roberto Meléndez Metropolitan Stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, on Friday, November 20.
Written by urgent.news from Buenos Aires Herald's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
