Boca Juniors started the year in style, smashing Argentino de Monte Maíz 5-0 in Santa Fe, in a match that was part of the Copa Argentina round of 32. The team, led by head coach Fernando Gago, saw signings Ayrton Costa, Carlos Palacios and Spanish international Ander Herrera make their official debuts with the Xeneize jersey.

The match was easy on paper, with Argentino playing two divisions below Boca. However, it was 45 minutes until the first goal, when Exequiel Zeballos scored inside the box from a Brian Aguirre cross for the 1-0. Just two minutes later, Boca doubled the lead through Uruguayan striker Miguel Merentiel.

However, Herrera was the star of the match. The 35-year-old midfielder took over playmaking duties, distributing the ball sharply, recovering misplaced passes and bringing his teammates into play. 

He also showed his experience and reputation, quickly becoming a commanding voice on the pitch and giving instructions to the younger Boca players. He received the admiration of the Boca fans who made the trip, being clapped off the field as he was subbed out after 55 minutes.

Fans had to wait until the very end of the match for more goals, with hits by Lucas Janson in the 88th minute, Milton Giménez in the 90th and Kevin Zenón in the 93rd sealing the deal.

“We had a good game, we knew that it was going to be difficult to break them down in the first few minutes”, said Gago after the game. He added that he had taken Herrera off to manage his minutes of play, as the Spanish midfielder had only had a handful of training sessions. “I’m going to need everyone,” he said. “There will be a lot of rotation.”

After the match, Boca showed huge camaraderie with their rivals. The Xeneize players took the time to swap and autograph shirts for the Argentino squad, and the club donated all the equipment they had brought for the match.

“I had asked for [Zeballos’ kit] beforehand. We talked on the pitch and he told me he wanted mine,” Argentino midfielder Ramiro Lasserre told ESPN. “He is a very kind guy, very chill.”