The Cruzeiro chaos
A 1–1 draw that felt like a loss. Boca led through Merentiel's 15th-minute strike but were pegged back by Fagner in the 54th minute. The real story happened after full-time, with Jesús Valenzuela pointing to the spot for a handball against Boca in the 12th minute of added time. Lucas Romero was adamant: "Tinha total tranquilidade, porque eu sabia que não ia ser pênalti, porque foi totalmente casual. E tinha a minha mão colada no corpo." He was right, the penalty wasn't given, but the damage to Boca's group stage position was already done. (1) (3) (4) (5) (6)
VAR audio released, controversy deepens
Conmebol released the VAR audio from the match, and it only adds fuel to the fire. On the disallowed Merentiel goal, referee Jesús Valenzuela and VAR official Ángel Arteaga discussed whether Jonathan Jesus interfered from an offside position. The handball call in stoppage time was also reviewed, with Valenzuela eventually deciding against the penalty. The audio confirms the officials saw what Boca fans saw, the question now is whether they got either call right. (6)
Nández return: not happening
Pablo Bentancur, Nández's representative, shut down any talk of a fairytale return to La Bombonera. No ambiguity, no maybe. The midfielder isn't coming back for the second half of the year. If you were holding onto that hope, let it go. (2)
Straight back to work
No time to sulk. Boca trained immediately after the draw, with the focus already shifting to the decisive match against Católica. The squad knows what's coming. It's a final in everything but name, and this group needs to prove the Cruzeiro result was a bump, not a pattern. (5)
Fan reactions
Reddit was on fire after the match. The penalty call in the 12th minute of stoppage time was the dominant topic, with most fans convinced Boca were robbed. The Cruzeiro equalizer posted by /u/Largvt drew heavy traffic, and Gerson's red card in the 68th minute had supporters questioning whether the referee lost control long before the late drama. One user even spotted Torreira watching from the stands, a small bright spot on a frustrating night. See the penalty thread