Boca hold La U to reach Libertadores final
Reuters - Friday 22 June 2012, 02:37
Boca Juniors drew 0-0 with
Universidad de Chile at the Estadio Nacional on Thursday to set
up a Libertadores Cup final against Corinthians.
The Argentine six-times South American champions took the
semi-final tie 2-0 on aggregate having won the first leg by that
score at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires last week.
Corinthians completed a 2-1 aggregate win over fellow
Brazilians Santos, the title holders, on Wednesday.
Boca playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme took the early
initiative, looking for openings for the strikers and volleying
a shot against the bar from Pablo Mouche's cross in the eighth
minute.
Boca goalkeeper Agustin Orion had to make a sharp save in
the 23rd minute from a header by Junior Fernandes at a free-kick
taken by midfielder Marcelo Diaz.
'La U' had more of the ball and did most of the attacking
but were less incisive than Boca and they were lucky not to be
at least a goal down to the Argentines at the interval.
Riquelme twice put Mouche clean through on goal in the space
of two minutes but the striker lost control with the first
opportunity and goalkeeper Johnny Herrera covered well to save
the second.
The home side had two near misses in the second half, the
first when a 54th minute Diaz free-kick hit the post.
With 10 minutes remaining, Universidad's Peruvian substitute
forward Raul Ruidiaz was also denied by the post.
The two-legged final will be Boca's 10th and Corinthians'
first. The Argentine side are at home in the first leg next
Wednesday.