Boca Juniors win Copa Libertadores again

Boca Juniors won a penalty shootout 3-1 to retain the Copa Libertadores Cup at their 'La Bombonera' stadium after suffering a rare 1-0 defeat by Mexico City club Cruz Azul.

The win for Cruz after extra time left the scores level on aggregate.

Cruz missed three penalties with two blazed wide and Oscar Cordoba saving one for Boca to give the Argentine club their fourth Copa title. Their coach Carlos Bianchi led Velez Sarsfield to the Copa title six years ago.

The sell-out crowd of 60,000 saw thousands of fans locked out with play being halted in the first half when teargas used by police to disperse fans outside the ground drifted onto the pitch.

Boca won 1-0 at the Azteca stadium in a great display last week but Cruz were always on top in the return leg as Boca tried to keep their hard won advantage.

Victor Gutierrez hit the post with a low shot from outside the penalty area and took the lead when Juan Francisco Palencia scored after Jose Cardozo pulled the ball back across the goal after controlling a corner at the near post.

Earlier Boca's Anibal Matellan headed wide from close range in their best chance of the half.

Marcelo Delgado headed wide from a Juan Riquelme free kick but the Mexicans to dominate and hit the post from a Julio Cesar Pinheiro free kick.

The success of Boca recently can be traced to the strong leadership of president Mauricio Macri and his ability to fight off interest from FC Barcelona in midfield play maker Juan Riquelme.

Macri took charge in 1997 but now Riquelme may be sold off in a £22 million deal to the Catalan club but Boca have an exceptional youth system created by coach Jorge Griffa several years ago that saw stars like Riquelme graduate to the first team under coach Hector Veira. Veira created the team inherited by Bianchi but Bianchi has added a unity of purpose which has helped to forge the most successful Boca team in living memory.

Macri's job is now to keep most of it together but that will not be easy.