Boca blasts referee's PK call in Benfica comeback

Boca Juniors players Agustín Marchesín and Miguel Merentiel criticized the decisions made by referee César Ramos successful their 2-2 Club World Cup debut gully against Benfica connected Monday nighttime astatine Hard Rock Stadium, emphasizing the punishment awarded to the Portuguese broadside derailed the match.

The Argentine nine led the crippled 2-0 successful the archetypal fractional with goals from Merentiel and Rodrigo Battaglia earlier the referee called a foul wrong the container to grant Benfica a penalty. Ángel Di María stepped up to the spot and recovered the little near country to people the team's archetypal of the night.

"I don't cognize what the referee saw," said Marchesín. "I've known him for a agelong time. I'm not amazed either. I didn't deliberation it was a penalty; later, you person to look astatine it much calmly. But successful a crippled similar that, to beryllium awarded that punishment is shameful. We person to determination on; this is football, and that's however it is."

Merentiel echoed his teammates' thoughts, insisting the telephone aboriginal ruined the crippled for Boca Juniors.

"The punishment footwear somewhat affected the game, and I deliberation it affected america a bit," said Merentiel. "They were faced with the punishment astatine the extremity of the archetypal fractional that ruined the game. From the inside, it didn't look similar a punishment to me, personally. There's a referee, helium decided it was a penalty, and we abided by the bid helium gave astatine that moment."

Tensions continued to emergence betwixt the 2 teams successful the 2nd fractional of the match, seeing Benfica fig Andrea Belotti and Boca Juniors subordinate Jorge Figal expelled with a reddish card.

Off the field, 55,274 fans filled the stands astatine Hard Rock Stadium, with a ascendant beingness from Boca Juniors supporters that impressed the club. Thousands of people, boasting the bold yellowish and bluish shades of the Boca Juniors colors, dominated the sections down 1 of the goals to make a makeshift La Bombonera successful Miami Gardens.
Benfica fig Angel Di Maria admitted helium felt the unit from the Argentine supporters, commending them for the unit helium felt astatine the match.

"I cognize what Argentine shot is each about. Today we defended the jersey and tried to bash our best. We didn't succeed, but we kept going," helium said.

"I felt the affection, but it's mean if they insult me. It would beryllium logical erstwhile I deterioration different jersey and person to observe a goal. It's football, you understand. In football, if I play for the nationalist team, I'm the nationalist team, and if I play for different jersey, I understand."

Boca Juniors returns to enactment connected June 20 erstwhile facing Bayern Munich astatine Hard Rock Stadium for the 2nd radical signifier match.