Sexy Soccer Saturday Open Thread – Edición de Libertadores

What? Or should I say,  “¿Qué?”

Today,  in addition to the usual European league action,  we have the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Final.

To the unfamiliar,  this is the South American version of the Champions League.  While the Champions League crowns its champion in one game held at a neutral site,  the Copa Libertadores requires a Home and Away two-legged final.

The two teams in the final this year are Boca Juniors and River Plate,  both from Argentina, both from Buenos Aires, both started in the same La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires, and both a part of the greatest rivalry in South American sports, if not the world.

This is like Madrid-Barça, PSG-OM, or América-Chivas but in the same neighborhood with all the class,  political,  and sporting divisions those other rivalries entail.

Boca was the club of Diego Armando Maradona. It is the club of the poor working class.  It is known for the toughness of its players and for the suffocating atmosphere in its stadium,  La Bombonera (the chocolate box), the site of today’s game and named for its box-like shape that keeps in and amplifies the sound of the fiery Boca fans.

River is nicknamed Los Millonarios, the millionaires, and play their games in El Monumental,  a massive stadium (the largest in Argentina) that regularly hosts the Argentinean National Soccer Team. The fans are stereotypically upper class or wannabe upper class but in reality just as passionate and just as fierce as Boca’s.

You can see where this is going.

Books have been written about this rivalry.  If you watch one game today,  I highly recommend you watch this one. South American fútbol is crazy enough as it is,  but the intensity and emotion for this game will be at an all-time high.

Did I mention that this is the first time in history they have faced each other in the Copa Libertadores Final?

The game starts at 11 AM Pacific,  1 PM DFO time on Fox Deportes.

Here’s something to help you decide who to root for:

Here is the rest of today’s schedule (all times Pacific):

A close second for Match of the Day is the Borussia Dortmund – Bayern Munich clash on Fox Sports 2 and Fox Deportes. On any other weekend,  this is the one to watch. Luckily,  the timing works such that we can watch both,  back to back.

I think we all know which channel I’ll be tuned to all morning,  huh?

As if I needed to provide you any more motivation to watch Fox Deportes,  I present to you:

Enjoy the games!