Mario Binko took one more look at Alan Velarde, who has been working very hard since the start of the new season's training, and also practicing on his own every day, who is a different person compared to last season, and who also proved that his strengths have come a long way through the training and warm-up matches, and finally nodded his head and said, "Good! I'll leave the midfield defense to you!"
Mario Binko then called for a substitution, replacing No. 33 Alan Velarde with No. 5 back Federico Bismara, who had suffered a thigh strain and was really no longer able to stay in the game.
The fourth official held up the substitution sign, and the TV commentators chimed in:
"The Hurricanes made a substitution."
"Federico Bismara, who has a muscle strain, has had to be replaced, and on comes No. 33 Alan Velarde."
"This is the Hurricanes' own youth player, a 21 year old who only had 2 substitute appearances last season that added up to less than 20 minutes."
"It might be a bit of a stretch for him to come in alone as a single back to face the onslaught of the attacking pack of A-League giants Boca Juniors."
"Perhaps this is an opportunity for Boca Juniors, it's up to them to capitalize on it."
"Of course, for Velarde, if he can hold off the Boca Juniors onslaught, it might also be a chance to make a name for himself."
Indeed, this is both an opportunity and a risk for Villard.
Being able to come off the bench in the Copa Argentina, against a giant like Boca Juniors, is a rare opportunity.
But at the same time, the situation is now delicate, and it is not Boca Juniors, but Hurricanes Athletic who are leading the scoreline.
If Velarde comes on and can withstand the onslaught of Boca Juniors' attacking line and help Hurricanes Athletic win the game and advance to the round of sixteen with a bang. Then there is no doubt that he will completely secure the position of the third man at the back in the team, and get a lot of chances to enter the big list and substitute in the future matches.
But if the Hurricanes concede in the last twenty minutes and end up being reversed and eliminated by Boca Juniors, or even if Villard makes any cheap mistakes in the middle of the game, then Villard will surely have to carry a certain amount of responsibility after the game.
Even at Velarde's mental age, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
But he didn't back down, no matter what the outcome was, such an opportunity had to be seized. As for the outcome, it could only be fought with all one's might.
Federico Bismara, who was helped off the field by the team doctor, hugged Velarde and encouraged, "Velarde, it's up to you, come on."
Velarde nodded solemnly and ran into the famous Candy Box Stadium.
In the stands, Kristina, who was sitting in the same section as Dalia, Bonnie Fashaw and other players who were not on the roster, as well as some of the players' families, shouted excitedly when she saw her brother come on as a substitute:
"Brother!"
"My big brother is on!"
"Brother, come on!"
Two close friends, Dahlia and Bonny Fashio, also applauded happily for Velarde's arrival on the pitch, while others, though a bit worried, applauded and added fuel to the fire, hoping that Velarde would be able to withstand the onslaught of Boca Juniors' attacking pack and help the Hurricanes hold on to their 1-0 win.
When the game resumed, and seeing the Hurricanes' main back-rower Federico Bismara leave the field with an injury and be replaced by a 21-year-old, Boca Juniors really started to focus their attack in the middle of the field, and started to bombard the front of the box where Villard was defending.
In the 73rd minute, the ball reached the feet of Boca striker Gigliotti in front of Velarde. Instead of passing the ball, Gigliotti approached Velarde with the ball.
Velarde retreats while jamming, but as the distance draws closer, there is no way to retreat when approaching the line of the penalty area. Further retreat, the other side is going to take the ball into the penalty area, then the defense even more dare not easily do action: afraid of fouls awarded a penalty kick.
Just as Villard was about to make a tackle, Gigliotti flicked the ball to the right. Having just come on to the field and facing such a giant as Boca Juniors, Villard was highly nervous and subconsciously followed a move to the right. As a result, Gigliotti's right foot, which was pivoting on the ball, suddenly went around the ball, to the outside, and hooked the ball back to the left side.
Gigliotti makes a move to throw a bull's tail over the top.
Velarde was caught off guard and was instantly broken through by Gigliotti from the left side, straight into the Hurricanes penalty area.
The commentators have said:
"Oh, Velarde's been breached."
"Gigliotti took advantage of Velarde's nerves, who had just come on and wasn't yet used to the game, and finished off the middle of the field."
"Good chance!"
Gigliotti, who finished the break, then faced Hurricanes center back Mancinelli and instead of opting for another break, sent a diagonal pass into the left side of the box.
Boca's other striker, Caleri, rushed into the box from the side and touched the ball before Toranzo, the Hurricanes' returning defender. However, probably because the angle was too small, he didn't make sure of it and didn't dare to shoot directly, but crossed the ball to the center of the box, trying to let his teammates in the middle or the right to follow up to shoot.
Both the center and the right did have Boca Juniors players following up, ready to rush to the goal and grab a shot.
But Federico Carrizo in the middle was tangled up with the Hurricanes halfback, interfering with the pace and not getting there in time to touch the ball.
Juan Martinez, another Boca Juniors striker at the back post, tapped in and, while in a tangle with another returning Hurricanes front man beside him, took aim at the near corner of the goal and pushed a shot in, ready to push the ball into the dead center of the net.
If that goal had gone in and equalized, he would have been a hero for Boca Juniors without a doubt.
The Hurricanes' goalkeeper, Diaz, had just been drawn to his left and hadn't quite moved into position. The probability is that if this ball is allowed to hit Juan Martinez within the goal box, it's really going to be a goal.
Just as Juan Martinez had a push kick out, and instantly felt that the ball was there, and was all set to raise his hands and run wildly in celebration, a foot suddenly appeared in front of him, and shoveled the ball that he had just pushed and kicked out of the bottom line with a kick.
"Alas ..."
More than 20,000 Boca Juniors fans in the stands rang out in a neat sigh.
Juan Martinez fixed his eyes on this Hurricanes player who blocked his shot, which then rolled right off the line due to the powerful inertia, and it was none other than Alan Velarde, who had just been broken through by Gigliotti in a single glance with a dumping bull's tail.
It turned out that Velarde, who was broken by a photo break, was not struck to stand still as everyone thought, but immediately after the breakthrough, he turned back towards the penalty area, just in time to catch Juan Martinez's push shot, and made a timely diving interception and a save in front of the goal, successfully destroying the ball out of the bottom line.
The commentators exclaimed:
"Juan Martinez shoots!"
"Oh ..."
"The ball was destroyed off the line!"
"Boca Juniors' shot misses again!"
"It's Alan Willard!"
"Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Velarde, who had just been broken up by a shot from Gigliotti, turned back in time just to sprint into the box and break up this shot from Juan Martinez with a flying tackle off the line."
"Velarde put the finishing touches on the goalmouth danger he caused earlier when he was broken through and deflected it himself."
In the stands, Velarde's sister, Kristina, jumped up excitedly, clapping and shouting, "Big brother that was a great shot!"
The fans, who had just been a little disappointed that Villard had been instantly broken through, applauded Villard just as excitedly.
Goalkeeper Marcos Diaz, who was rushing from the left side of the goal, heartily pulled Velarde up for a hug and said, "Good goal, Velarde. That ball would have been a sure goal if it wasn't for you."
Velarde was out of breath and didn't say anything, just hugged Diaz. Just now when he returned to the defense, he did try his best, more than ten meters of full-speed back sprinting and darting made him feel so tired that he didn't even want to say anything.
A couple of other defenders came up and gave Villard a hug or a pat on the back to show their appreciation for the save in goal.
The Hurricanes fans in the stands also dedicated a round of applause to him, expressing their satisfaction with this crucial save in front of the goal.
The game continues.
Boca Juniors took a corner, but they were unable to grab the first point and it was cleared by Hurricanes center back Elamspey who toppled out of the box.
As time went on, Villard got better and more consistent.
Despite the fact that the offensive attributes of Boca Juniors' players may be higher than Velarde's defensive attributes, Velarde didn't get caught up in a one-man trap, was very good at using his physicality and jamming ability to slow down the opposition's attack, didn't get broken through one-on-one again and defused the opposition's attacks with the help of his teammates around him.
Head coach Mario Binco looked at Velarde, who was getting more and more comfortable in defense, constantly defusing Boca Juniors' attacks through all kinds of pressing, jamming, rushing, and co-defending, and said to his assistant Andres Yarin next to him, "Velarde is adapting so fast, even these star strikers of Boca can't get much of an advantage on him."
Arin nodded, "Yeah, it's like a different person from last season, maybe it's because his parents passed away and it made him grow up all of a sudden!"
Binko said, "That should be the reason to focus on it in the future."
Arin nodded in agreement.
On the field, the game continues.
Through ten minutes of practice, Boca Juniors finally recognized the fact that this 21-year-old Alan Velarde is not soft, and they couldn't get a break from Velarde.
So, Boca changed the direction of their attack and started to attack from the side.
In fact, the 352 formation, the side is the weakness, from the side of the road attack is the most appropriate, always go to rush the Hurricanes in the middle of the road, would have been to ask for suffering. Even if the Hurricanes only Velarde a back, but other teammates are not dead, no matter the back of the three guards, or the front of the bilateral front guards, double front waist, are able to return to the defense to assist Velarde.
It's the sides that are the weakness of this formation, only before Boca Juniors thought Velarde was the bigger weakness, not anymore.
After recognizing the reality, Boca Juniors began to avoid Velarde, to the side of the attack, and gradually mastered the initiative of the side of the road, frequent side of the road down the bottom of the cross high ball up to the Hurricanes' penalty area.
Even though the Hurricanes had three center backs defending the box and a returning Alan Velarde who wasn't too tall, it was difficult for Boca Juniors to grab the first point. But everyone knew that allowing Boca to grab it once could change the game.
What's more, modern soccer has developed to the present, the side attack is no longer just a simple two-winged, downward pass a way to go, they can also through the side of the road inside the shot, or inverted triangle pass, threatening the Hurricanes' goal.
The Hurricanes won't really be able to hold up over time.