The ‘magnificent’ Sergio Romero is emerging as the hero of Boca Juniors’ Copa Libertadores run with another couple of former Manchester United players in line for silverware.
Well, two out of three ain’t bad.
Edinson Cavani scored, Sergio Romero saved and Marcos Rojo – believe it or not – got sent off. That was the story of Boca Juniors’ former Manchester United trio on Friday night, the Argentine giants eternally-gratious to their veteran striker and their equally-grizzled glovesman to see off Palmeiras in the semi-finals of South America’s Champions League equivalent.
Ex Manchester United stars power Boca Juniors to final
“I don’t think anyone had really expected them to get all the way to the final. in six knockout games, three rounds, they didn’t manage to win a single one! Three lots of penalty shoot-outs,” South American expert Tim Vickery tells talkSPORT (11 October, 4.20pm).
“And Sergio Romero, a one-time benchwarmer at Man United, has been magnificent in this Libertadores, especially in the penalty shoot-outs.
“Three penalty shoot-outs, 11 penalties he’s faced, six he’s saved. It’s extraordinary. He’s just filling the goal, he’s not choosing which side he is going to go, he waits until the shot and then he makes extraordinary saves on either side.
“He had to dig (his Boca Juniors team-mates) out of a hole because also one-time Manchester United old boy Marcos Rojo was entirely-predictably sent-off.
“And the fella who got them the goal that got them to the penalty shoot-out? Edinson Cavani.”
‘Magnificent’ Sergio Romero
Boca Juniors will face Fluminense of Brazil in the Libertadores final on November 4th. And with Boca very much the underdogs up against Fernando Diniz’s much-fancied side, they will need every inch of Romero’s 36-year-old, 6ft 4ins frame with a first Copa title since 2007 on the line.
Romero’s starring role in Manchester United’s Europa League triumph seven years ago, meanwhile, may be a good omen. The Argentine shot-stopper started and kept a clean sheet as Jose Mourinho’s side saw off Ajax.
Do the same again in three weeks’ time and Romero will have become a continental champion on both sides of the Atlantic.
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