If Boca gets knocked out by one of those teams, it would be a disgrace
A lo largo de la historia del fútbol sudamericano, los grandes clubes han aprendido que el desprecio hacia los rivales menores suele ser el preludio de sorpresas memorables. En Buenos Aires, comentaristas del programa de Sergio Goycochea ya descartaron a Alianza Lima como amenaza real para Boca Juniors en la fase preliminar de la Copa Libertadores 2025, calificando de 'vergüenza' cualquier eventual eliminación ante equipos de esa ronda. El sorteo, previsto para dentro de dos días, determinará si ese escenario hipotético se convierte en realidad, recordándonos que el fútbol, antes de jugarse en la cancha, se juega primero en la imaginación.
- Los comentaristas argentinos Juan Carlos Pasman y Gastón Gerke descartaron públicamente a Alianza Lima como rival digno de Boca Juniors, encendiendo la mecha del orgullo futbolístico peruano.
- Pasman fue tajante: si Boca cae ante alguno de los equipos de la fase preliminar uno, sería 'una vergüenza absoluta', elevando la presión sobre el equipo de Fernando Gago antes de que empiece la competencia.
- Alianza Lima, clasificado como cuarto en la Liga 1 2024, deberá superar primero a rivales como Carabobo, el cuarto de Bolivia o Nacional de Paraguay antes de siquiera soñar con enfrentar a Boca.
- El sorteo de la Copa Libertadores 2025 se realiza en dos días y definirá si el choque entre ambos clubes pasa de ser una provocación mediática a un duelo real sobre el césped.
A dos días del sorteo de la Copa Libertadores 2025, la prensa deportiva argentina ya tiene sus conclusiones. En el programa 'De Fútbol Se Habla Así', conducido por el exarquero Sergio Goycochea, los comentaristas Gastón Gerke y Juan Carlos Pasman analizaron el camino de Boca Juniors por las fases preliminares con una certeza que rozó el desdén.
Gerke sostuvo que ningún equipo de la fase preliminar uno representa una amenaza real para el 'Xeneize'. Pasman fue más lejos: si el equipo de Fernando Gago quedara eliminado por alguno de esos rivales, sería una deshonra para el club. El nombre que flotaba en el aire era el de Alianza Lima, cuarto clasificado del fútbol peruano en 2024.
Pero el camino no es directo. Para que ambos clubes se crucen, Alianza Lima tendría que superar primero su propia llave inicial —ante Carabobo de Venezuela, el cuarto de Bolivia o Nacional de Paraguay— y recién entonces acceder a la segunda ronda preliminar donde podría aguardar Boca. Es un escenario posible, no garantizado.
Lo que sí queda claro es cómo se perciben estas instancias previas desde Argentina: como un trámite, no como una prueba. Para Alianza Lima, en cambio, cada partido es una oportunidad de demostrar que el fútbol sudamericano no se decide en los estudios de televisión de Buenos Aires.
The Copa Libertadores 2025 preliminary draw is two days away, and Argentine sports media is already sizing up the competition. Boca Juniors will learn their path through the early rounds, and if the draw aligns a certain way, they could face Alianza Lima—Peru's fourth-place finisher from the 2024 domestic season. On the DSports program "De Fútbol Se Habla Así," hosted by former goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea, the conversation turned dismissive.
Gastón Gerke, one of the program's commentators, stated flatly that none of the teams emerging from preliminary phase one—the pool Alianza Lima inhabits—posed a genuine threat to Boca. The "Xeneise" club, he suggested, had nothing to fear from that tier of competition. His co-panelist Juan Carlos Pasman went further, calling it an absolute embarrassment if Fernando Gago's squad were to be eliminated by any of those preliminary-round opponents. "If Boca gets knocked out by one of those teams, it would be a disgrace," Pasman said.
The scenario they were discussing is specific: Alianza Lima would need to advance through their preliminary matchup—potentially against Carabobo of Venezuela, Bolivia's fourth-ranked team, or Paraguay's Nacional—to then face Boca in the second preliminary round. That's the only path to a meeting between the two clubs. Alianza Lima's fourth-place finish in Peru's Liga 1 2024 earned them seeding in the first preliminary phase, meaning they enter the competition earlier than some rivals but must win to progress.
The Argentine media's confidence in Boca's superiority reflects the club's traditional standing in South American football, but it also underscores how the preliminary rounds are viewed in Argentina: as a formality, not a genuine test. For Alianza Lima, the path forward depends first on dispatching their opening opponent, then potentially facing a Boca side that Argentine commentators seem to view as operating in an entirely different category. The draw in two days will determine whether that hypothetical matchup becomes real.
Citas Notables
None of those rivals from preliminary phase one are more of a candidate than Boca— Gastón Gerke, DSports commentator
If Boca gets knocked out by one of those teams, it would be a disgrace— Juan Carlos Pasman, DSports commentator
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would Argentine media be so confident Boca would beat Alianza Lima? What's the gap between these teams?
It's partly about pedigree. Boca is one of South America's biggest clubs with continental history. Alianza Lima is strong domestically in Peru, but Peru's league doesn't carry the same weight in the continental conversation as Argentina's.
So it's not really about form or current strength—it's about reputation?
Reputation matters enormously in these preliminary rounds. Argentine media sees Boca as a heavyweight; Alianza Lima as a regional power. The preliminary rounds are supposed to be where the big clubs prove they belong.
But Alianza Lima did finish fourth in their league. Doesn't that suggest they're competitive?
It does, but fourth place in Peru isn't the same currency as fourth place in Argentina. The Argentine commentators were essentially saying: we're in a different tier. If we lose to you, we've failed.
Is that arrogance, or is there actual evidence for it?
Both, probably. Boca has won Copa Libertadores titles. Alianza Lima hasn't. But in a single match, anything can happen. The dismissal says more about how Argentine media ranks itself than about what will actually happen on the field.