Boca Juniors were held to a surprise 1-1 draw by amateurs Auckland City and failed to reach the knockout stage of the Club World Cup on Tuesday in steamy Nashville, Tennessee, where the match was suspended for nearly 50 minutes due to stormy weather.
Argentine side Boca came into the game needing both a convincing win against already-eliminated Auckland City to overturn a seven-goal difference with Benfica and for the Portuguese club to lose to German champions Bayern Munich in the other Group C fixture.
Auckland City had just drawn level shortly after the break when lightning in the area forced players off the field. By the time play resumed, Benfica had secured a 1-0 win to qualify top of Group C and reach the last 16 along with Bayern.
Boca went ahead in the 26th minute when Lautaro Di Lollo received a well-delivered corner and headed it against the post before the ball bounced off Auckland City goalkeeper Nathan Garrow’s arm and into the net for an own goal.
Auckland scored their first goal of the tournament in the 52nd minute when Christian Gray sent a header inside the right post and past an outstretched Agustin Marchesin moments before play was suspended.
“Scoring that goal was just surreal. It probably hasn’t sunk in yet. I think the club deserved it, and I’m happy for the boys,” Grey, who is a physical education teacher back in New Zealand, said.
Boca thought they had pulled back in front shortly after the restart but a VAR decision overturned Miguel Merentiel’s goal due to a handball by teammate Kevin Zenon.
Boca finished third in the group with two points, one more than Auckland City who also exited the Club World Cup.
“It was difficult to find spaces because they defended well – that was their objective. They never gave up, and we couldn’t increase our lead. The climate conditions were tough – it was really hot – and then when they equalised, they gained new strength,” Boca forward Edinson Cavani said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was among those at the game where temperatures at kickoff were around 96 degrees Fahrenheit (35.5 degrees Celsius).
The steamy conditions did little to dampen the spirits of the passionate Boca supporters who spent the duration of the match singing to the beat of drums, including during the weather delay when many refused calls to head to the concourse.
“Thanks to all the fans that came here and support us the way they do back home,” Boca coach Miguel Angel Russo said.
“Until their goal, the game was all ours. Boca’s image after this last game is not good. This is the third set-piece goal we’ve conceded, there’s a lot to correct,” the manager added.
