Copa De Quilmes: Argentina's oldest club vs Boca in the Copa de Argentina

Words: Pim Meussen

Images: Pim Meussen

Due to serious riots and football-related deaths caused by violence, Argentina has not permitted supporters of visiting clubs since 2013.

The exception to this rule is for matches in the Copa de Argentina, the Argentine cup. These games are always played on neutral ground and often far away from their own stadiums.

This also applies to the quarter-final match between Quilmes Atlético Club and Boca Juniors on September 29, 2022. The stadia of these two clubs are only 18 kilometers apart as the crow flies, but the match was played in the wine city of Mendoza, which is 1100 kilometers away.

Quilmes, the oldest football club in Argentina, plays one level below Boca Juniors and had already defeated the mighty Rosario Central in a previous round.

Because this special match was also played in the historic World Cup 1978 Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, I wanted to be there. It would be my fourth visit to a Quilmes match after attending home matches in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Through the very hospitable Quilmes supporters club in Mendoza, Peña Cuyo, I was promised a bed, wine, beer, and meat. So off to Mendoza!

©Pim Meussen/ Terrace Edition. Quilmes Atlético Club.

This quarter-final match perfectly reflected how crazy and passionate Argentinians are when it comes to their unconditional love for football. Estadio Malvinas Argentinas can accommodate 42,000 spectators, and almost all of them were there.

About 35,000 Boca Juniors hinchas and 5,000 Quilmes made the effort to travel to Mendoza on a Wednesday evening for a match that started at 10:00 PM. Traveling by bus from Quilmes and Buenos Aires, this was a journey of 22 hours each way. Insane! And all this for a quarter-final match.

Only an hour before the match did the dozens of buses from Quilmes arrive. What followed was a race against the clock to get inside. The police were not very cooperative, causing maximum stress for many hinchas before 'the match of the year.'

At the start of the match, most were still outside. Fortunately, I managed to get inside just in time to witness Quilmes going 1-0 up in the fifth minute. It was madness in the stands! It was also unbelievable because for most Quilmes hinchas, Boca Juniors is the hated club from Buenos Aires.

Later on, when socios from Boca Juniors stole a Quilmes banner, things got even more intense. The fire brigade sprayed the hinchas away from the fences, and the police threatened to evacuate the section. Chaos once again in Mendoza!

Unfortunately, Quilmes couldn't quite make it and only got a taste of the semi-finals for two minutes. With a 3-2 defeat, thousands of fans boarded the buses again after the match, heading towards Buenos Aires and Quilmes.

For those who truly appreciate football culture and are open to Argentine hospitality and culture, you will experience unforgettable adventures that will stay with you forever. My heartfelt thanks go to all the socios of Quilmes and the Cerna family in particular for allowing me to be part of the family.

You can find Pim on Twitter and Instagram: @NEC_QAC

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