History shows that the path to eternal glory often includes a mandatory stop at the 'Crusaders', as happened at the beginning of the golden age of 2000. Boca Juniors returns to its natural habitat. This evening, the team will play in the charming neighborhood of San Carlos de Apoquindo to face the Catholic University, and for fans and history buffs, the setting could not be more encouraging. The statistics are clear: when the cycle of success began against the Chilean team, the final destination was the cup in the display cases at Brandsen 805. The most vivid memory dates back to the year 2000, the starting point of Carlos Bianchi's hegemony. The memory of a stellar night in 2000. On that Wednesday, April 12, 2000, Boca arrived in Chile with the momentum of a historic thrashing: 6-1 against Blooming with five goals from the remembered Alfredo 'Chango' Moreno (who died in 2021 in Mexico). In that San Carlos de Apoquindo, the 'Viceroy's' team showed character. San Carlos de Apoquindo underwent a renovation that was completed in August 2025. Buenos Aires, April 7 (NA) – Boca will debut tonight in the Copa Libertadores against the Catholic University of Chile, at the renovated San Carlos de Apoquindo in Las Condes. On that night, a young Juan Román Riquelme – now the club's president – gave a football exhibition against a Chilean team that featured figures such as Nelson Tapia and Néstor 'Pipo' Gorosito. That victory was the fuel to later eliminate River Plate with the legendary goal from Martín Palermo and to finally lift the Cup at Morumbi against Palmeiras. Today's stage: San Carlos de Apoquindo. Boca will step onto a modern pitch. Today's debut marks the end of that wait. With the support of about 2,000 fans who managed to channel their passion into the Chilean stands, Boca once again launches its most cherished dream. Although Núñez opened the scoring for the home team, Boca turned it around with an unstoppable Antonio 'Chipi' Barijho, who scored a brace with his head, and a powerful header from Jorge 'Patrón' Bermúdez. The team's nickname, it should be recalled, comes from the iconic blue stripe that emulates the shield of the medieval knights who wore white tunics in the Crusades; a mystique of struggle that today is transferred to the Andes foothills. The path to revenge. After the open wound on November 4, 2023, at Maracanã, where John Kennedy's goal in extra time dashed the dream against Fluminense, Boca went through a desert of absences in the top tournament. The 'King Kong' of continental football returns to the Copa Libertadores with an obsession that time only magnifies: the seventh crown. The objective is the same as always, but history whispers that, against the Catholic University, the path usually ends with an Olympic lap.
