Mandato de entrar: un cambio decisivo en las finales de la Libertadores

A few moments before the final whistle of extra time, a notable moment unfolded as the Paraguayan received a late call from the bench and admitted that he himself had asked to enter the match. One of the biggest shocks of the Libertadores Cup final came in the dying minutes of regulation time extended into extra periods. In the 113th minute, Jorge Almirón made a decision that would be talked about for a long time: Bruno Valdez entered the field to replace Nicolás Figal, whose lead in attack had been the most consistent for Boca Juniors up to that point. The substitute trainer’s choice sparked visible tension from the Boca bench as Figal departed with frustration, throwing a sharp gesture toward the substitutes area. Regarding the timing of the change, the Paraguayan defender later spoke on Versus Radio in Paraguay, explaining that the moment was a reflection of the coach revisiting the available resources in the final stretch. He recalled that the team had exhausted nearly all attacking options on the bench, and he personally felt a strong urge to contribute on the field. He added that he asked the coach for a chance to participate because confidence ran high, yet he acknowledged that there was little time left to impact the game. In the end, he rued the fact that the opportunity to influence the result came too late to change the outcome. Looking back at the broader picture, the conclusion of the match left Boca supporters disappointed while fans mobilized in support of their team. The defender emphasized that there had been a real chance to reach the equalizer in the closing 10 minutes and to push for penalties, which could have altered the narrative of the night. Cited from Goal, the report captured the tension, the decisions on the touchline, and the personal resolve of players who stepped into a moment of high drama during the Libertadores final.