Boca Juniors And River Plate Combine For Five Red Cards, Nine Yellows, And One Brawl In A Friendly

There’s no such thing as a friendly between Boca Juniors and River Plate. Every Superclásico is an opportunity for the bitter crosstown rivals to humiliate the other, and yesterday’s match was no different. Boca had three players sent off with direct red cards, and River lost two.

River Plate won 1-0, but even that goal was about as ugly as one can get. It came off a penalty, which they earned after a Boca defender obviously deflected a free kick away with his forearm. In an ensuing scuffle, Carlos Tevez got headbutted by Jonathan Maidana. Goalscorer Leonardo Pisculichi was the fifth and final guy sent off after he escalated the brawl. There were also 40 fouls and nine yellow cards. Tevez sounded regretful after the game:

“Neither of us behaved well,” Tevez said referring to himself and Maidana. “You regret it afterwards because it generates violence outside [the pitch].”

We’ll see if that spirit of collaboration holds through their next derby.

Photo via AP