It was meant to be one of the games of the year in world football and an opportunity for Argentine football to showcase itself to the world.
It was meant to be a show like no other, a rivalry like no other and a game that would whet the world's appetite for South American club football. The game never even took place.
The world waited in anticipation for the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Boce Juniors. It was the first time the two great rivals had met in the final of the competition in its 58-year existence.It's a rivalry matched by few others around the world, but it seems as though, for some, football can mean a little too much, it can be taken a little too seriously.
On Saturday afternoon, with anticipation growing ahead of kick-off, news started to filter through that there had been an attack on the Boca Juniors team bus as they arrived at the famous Estadio Monumental.
That news proved to be true and it was quickly followed by horrifying images and videos on social media. Then it was confirmed. Amidst a flurry of missiles thrown at the Boca Juniors bus, players had suffered injuries. Glass flew into the skin of players, the eye of Boca captain Pablo Perez.
Then, the pepper gas used by police to disperse the fans, made its way onto the bus, inevitably affecting the players and others on board.
And just like that, one of the greatest shows on earth was cancelled, was ruined.The game was postponed initially for 24 hours with the head of South American football, Alejandro Dominguez calling it a "disgrace", putting the blame on the organising authorities in a series of tweets.
Boca Juniors then made a statement, making clear their intentions to not play the game on Sunday with many of their players still in a bad way. Captain Pablo Perez and others including Gonzalo Lamard were seen with eye-patches and other band aids. Boca Juniors would later say that it was "A sad day for Argentinian soccer."
The game was then officially postponed with no date set for when it will be replayed. What was set to be the biggest game in the history of Argentine club football was ruined.
This game meant the world to so many fans. There were even reports of people trading jobs for a ticket. For most, their passion for their team and their hate for the opposing side would have been translated to noise, to support for their team and at worst a flurry of choice words for the other.
However, for others, it proved too important. It turned into a war and inevitably, it ended in tears.For those fans who had no intention of causing trouble, the occasion was ruined and any future occasion was tainted. What was meant to be a showcase for the Argentinian game ended in shame, in one of the worst nights in the country's footballing history.
The eyes of the world did turn to Argentina, but for all the wrong reasons and an opportunity was wasted in disastrous fashion.This fixture will be replayed. We will get a second leg and it will be a good game with the scores level at 2-2 from the first leg.
But make no mistake, it won't be the same after this. This great fixture, this great occasion has been tainted. It has been spoiled and that's a great shame for the game of football.This game has indeed gone into the history books, but for all the wrong reasons.
