Fans of Argentinian club Boca Juniors take over South Florida during the Club World Cup
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Boca Juniors plays two of its three group-stage games of the Club World Cup in South Florida, and the Argentinian club's traveling fans have made their presence known.
In the club's first game of the tournament, a 2-2 draw against Benfica, the announced attendance of 55,574 at Hard Rock Stadium was mostly Boca fans. Supporters of the club have been highly visible in Miami-Dade County, gathering on the beach in the thousands and singing in local Walmarts.
Sammy Icarina has supported Boca Juniors his whole life.
'I am a Boca fanatic. I'm 76 now, so imagine how long I've been a fan for. The minute the tickets came out I bought them,' Icarina told the Associated Press.
The enthusiasm Boca has brought to the Club World Cup is known to those who love the team.
'It is always like this,' said Daniel Mata, who traveled from Argentina to watch.
Silvana Gomez goes to Boca's home stadium in Buenos Aires, the Bombonera, frequently and says the traveling support is typical and expected.
'It's like this, always. Whether we go to Japan, Rio de Janeiro, wherever Boca plays we are always there,' Gomez said.
Miami-Dade police have been present and heavily equipped at the stadium's multiple checkpoints. New procedures have not posed any problem for the passionate Boca Juniors fans and no incidents have been reported at the venue.
'For now I think (the security) is five stars, everything has been good, the police, the security, everything,' Icarina said.
Only Boca Juniors and one of the top clubs in the world, Real Madrid, have sold out their group-stage matches.
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
On the sporting side, Boca Juniors and their continental counterparts have fared well against European and global powerhouses. There are six South American teams in this Club World Cup and they have all brought tens of thousands of fans to their games.
Ahead of Boca Juniors' Friday night match against Bayern Munich, South American clubs were undefeated in the expanded Club World Cup with wins against European powers Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea and ties against Borussia Dortmund, Benfica and Porto.
Although Boca has not won in five games, its fans will be vocal no matter what.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Nottingham Forest extends manager Nuno Espirito Santo's contract after European qualification
NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has been rewarded with a contract extension for leading the club to its first European qualification for almost 30 years. The 51-year-old Nuno signed a three-year deal to stay at the City Ground until at least 2028, the Premier League club said on its website Saturday. 'Nuno masterminded an incredible 2024-25 season for Forest, guiding the club to its highest league finish in 30 years and thus qualifying for UEFA European competition for the first time since 1995-96,' the club said. Nuno's team enjoyed away wins over Liverpool and Manchester United, and strung together the club's longest top-flight winning streak since 1967. Forest was on course for Champions League qualification after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 away in April, but only one more win in the last five games meant it had to settle for seventh place. Only the top five qualified for Europe's premier competition. Forest had to settle for the third-tier Conference League competition — and will learn its playoff-round opponent when the Aug. 4 draw is made. Club owner Evangelos Marinakis remonstrated with Nuno on the field after a 2-2 draw with Midlands rival Leicester dented its Champions League hopes. The club later said that Marinakis' concern was about the handling of injured player Taiwo Awoniyi. On Saturday, Marinakis only had words of praise. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'Nuno has made a great impact and performed very well during his time with us so far,' the Greek businessman said. 'He has demonstrated that he maximizes player performance and is an expert at developing players, whilst also embedding our young talent into the first team set-up.' Nuno, who previously managed Wolves and Tottenham, took over at Forest from the fired Steve Cooper in December 2023 and helped the team avoid relegation on the final day of the season. 'I am delighted to be able to continue our journey at this fantastic football club,' the manager from the island country of São Tomé and Príncipe said of his contract extension. 'Since we arrived at Forest, we have worked extremely hard to create a special bond between the players, the fans and everyone at the club, which helped us achieve great things last season.' ___ AP soccer:
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Lucky 13: The Crusaders beat the Chiefs 16-12 to win the Super Rugby title for the 13th time
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — The Crusaders won the Super Rugby title for the 13th time by edging the Chiefs 16-12 on Saturday for their 32nd straight win in home playoffs. The Hamilton-based Chiefs lost in the final for the third straight year and for the second time to the Crusaders by a margin of five points or less.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Paris' iconic cauldron from the Olympic Games returns to light up summer nights
PARIS (AP) — A year after it captivated crowds during the Paris Olympics, a centerpiece of the summer Games is making a comeback. The iconic helium-powered balloon that attracted myriads of tourists during the summer Games has shed its Olympic branding and is now just called the 'Paris Cauldron.' It is set to rise again into the air later Saturday, lifting off over the Tuileries Garden. Around 30,000 people are expected to attend the launch, which coincides with France's annual street music festival — the Fete de la Musique, the Paris police prefecture said. And it won't be a one-time event. After Saturday's flight, the balloon will lift off into the sky each summer evening from June 21 to Sept. 14, for the next three years. The cauldron's ascent may become a new rhythm of the Parisian summer, with special flights planned for Bastille Day on July 14 and the anniversary of the 2024 opening ceremony on July 26. Gone is the official 'Olympic' branding — forbidden under IOC reuse rules — but the spectacle remains. The 30-meter (98-foot) -tall floating ring, dreamed up by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and powered by French energy company EDF, simulates flame without fire: LED lights, mist jets and high-pressure fans create a luminous halo that hovers above the city at dusk, visible from rooftops across the capital. Though it stole the show in 2024, the cauldron was only meant to be temporary, not engineered for multi-year outdoor exposure. To transform it into a summer staple, engineers reinforced it. The aluminum ring and tether points were rebuilt with tougher components to handle rain, sun and temperature changes over several seasons. Though it's a hot-air-balloon-style, the lift comes solely from helium — no flame, no burner, just gas and engineering. The structure first dazzled during the Olympics. Over just 40 days, it drew more than 200,000 visitors, according to officials. Now anchored in the center of the drained Tuileries pond, the cauldron's return is part of French President Emmanuel Macron's effort to preserve the Games' spirit in the city, as Paris looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
