'An international embarrassment' - Argentine media on Auckland City's draw with Boca
Photo:
AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
Argentine media and football fans have been scathing of Boca Juniors draw with Auckland City at the Fifa Club World Cup in the United States this morning.
After two significant losses in their first pool matches, Auckland City managed a
1-1 draw in Nashville on Wednesday
, preventing the Argentinean powerhouse from progressing in the tournament.
The national newspaper
La Nacion
said Boca has suffered an "international embarrassment".
"Their Club World Cup campaign ended in the worst possible way, with a draw against amateur club Auckland City."
Boca's poor performance came at a high price, the article said. It called it an "unexpected and devastating ending".
It also highlighted that the popular club lost to a team made up of "road engineers, civil servants, hairdressers, and cell phone salesmen".
Fans of Auckland City cheer for their team during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group C football match between Auckland City and Argentina's Boca Juniors at the Geodis Park stadium in Nashville.
Photo:
AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
In comments from fans online, much was made of goalscorer Christian Gray's regular gig as a physical education teacher.
"The person who just screwed Boca Juniors, is a school teacher who had to ask for annual leave to play at the World Cup," one commentator wrote on Youtube.
Another suggested Gray would receive a warm welcome from his students on his return to work.
Newspaper
Clarin
quoted a X post which called Auckland City a team of "11 hardware store owners".
It said social media was full of photos and videos of people making fun of the game.
Clarin's liveblog did have praise for Auckland City's goalkeeper, 20-year-old Nathan Garrow, who it said had done a "spectacular job" and "has established himself as player of the match".
Boca Juniors' Argentine defender Marco Pellegrino takes part in the hydratation break during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group C football match between New Zealand's Auckland City and Boca Juniors.
Photo:
AFP / FEDERICO PARRA
In contrast, sports site Ole carried a defiant quote from Boca's striker Uruguayan Edison Cavani who claimed: "I don't think it was that disappointing."
But he admitted the Boca players were sad not to be progressing.
However, Ole journalist Ramiro Scandolo was not quite as forgiving.
He said Boca's performance not only did not live up to the club's status, but "they weren't even able to beat such a weak opponent".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Swimming: Canadian teen Summer McIntosh takes aim at Katie Ledecky's throne
Photo: AFP Canadian teen sensation Summer McIntosh is coming for American legend Katie Ledecky's crown as the swimming portion of the World Aquatics Championships kicks off in Singapore on Sunday, marking a tantalising new chapter of their rivalry. Ledecky has kept a tight grip on the 800 metres freestyle, winning four Olympic golds and hoping to become the first swimmer to win seven world titles in a single event when she takes on the distance in Singapore. In May, she shattered her own world record, bettering the mark she set nine years previous. "I've always approached each race with a mindset that something like that could happen," Ledecky told the outlet SwimSwam after the race. "Even as that didn't happen for many, many years, I still maintain that approach." Only the 18-year-old McIntosh appears capable of standing in her path at worlds. She came within two seconds of the 28-year-old American's mark last month, signalling the chance that fans could soon see a changing of the guard. She famously ended Ledecky's 13-year unbeaten streak in the event in 2024, when she bested the American by nearly six seconds at a sectionals meeting in Orlando, Florida. "Anytime I get to race Katie, it's a learning experience and it's always a good race," she told reporters this month. "We bring the best out of each other." McIntosh completed one of the greatest weeks in swimming history with a hat-trick of world records in June, becoming the first to break three different individual long-course records in one meet since American Michael Phelps in 2008. She broke the world marks in the 200m and 400m individual medleys, as well as the 400m freestyle, another event where she will face off against Ledecky in Singapore. The 400m is one of the first events on the programme and also features New Zealander Erika Fairweather - a gold medallist last year in Doha when she clocked a national record time, although her main rivals weren't competing. Dunedin swimmer Erika Fairweather Photo: Simon Watts BW Media McIntosh and Ledecky finished second and third on the podium, respectively, in the 400m at the Paris Olympic Games, behind Australian Ariarne Titmus, who is not competing at worlds. McIntosh's goal in Singapore is to become the first since Phelps in 2007 to win five solo golds at a single World Aquatics Championships, with the 200m butterfly, 200m medley and 400m freestyle also on her agenda. She hopes to compete in five individual events at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, as well. "I'm trying to see this new challenge and see if I can do five events individually and how well I can do in them and how I can manage it... doing that run through now, three years out, is definitely something that will give me lots of confidence," she said. Leon Marchand will be swimming a reduced programme but the home hero of last year's Paris Olympics still intends to make a splash at the world championships. Leon Marchand from France wins the final of the men's 400m individual medley at the Paris Olympics. Photo: photosport A year on from those Games, Europe's standout swimmer has dropped two of his four Olympic gold medal events to focus on the 200 and 400 metres individual medley (IM) with some possible relay action. With the next Los Angeles Games still three years away, the 23-year-old can take the luxury of racing the 200m without restraint. Having no races immediately before or after on the same day, the Frenchman can push to the limit and that could mean fireworks. As the swimmer's France-based coach Nicolas Castel observed this week, Marchand wanted to "see what he was capable of". The world already has a good idea of that: Last November Marchand broke the 200 IM short-course world record at a meet in Singapore and he can become a three-times world champion in the 200 and 400 IM after golds in both in 2022 and 2023. The 200 IM long course world record of 1:54.00 was set by American Ryan Lochte at the 2011 championships in Shanghai and Marchand clocked 1:54.06 in Paris. The Frenchman has held the 400 IM world record of 4:02.50 since the 2023 Fukuoka worlds in Japan and can become the first man to hold both at the same time since U.S. great Michael Phelps. Olympic champions David Popovici (200m freestyle) of Romania, Ireland's Daniel Wiffen (800m freestyle), Germany's Lukas Maertens (400m freestyle) and Italian Thomas Ceccon (100m backstroke) will also be chasing more gold. Wiffen, reigning world champion in the 800 and 1500 freestyle, has said he wants Zhang Lin's 800m world record of 7:32.12 that was set in the era of now-banned super-suits in Rome in 2009 and is considered by many to be out of reach now. - Reuters
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
Media Insider: TVNZ set to scoop World Cup rights in major new pay TV move; MetService trials app charges for ad-free weather forecasts
State-owned TVNZ has maintained it will always be an ad-funded, free-to-air network first and foremost. But having the capability to bid for sports rights - and charge audiences - is a critical new component in its business model and strategic intentions. In a week when TVNZ has learned its two biggest local competitors are becoming one - with Sky buying Three (TV3) for $1 - TVNZ is expected to use the World Cup to showcase its credentials as a reinvigorated sports broadcaster. TVNZ said last night it was not in a position to comment but several well-placed sources believe the state broadcaster has won the rights following a highly competitive battle with Sky. The men's football World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet - even ahead of the Olympics - with billions tuning in every four years. According to Fifa, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar drew five billion fans across all media - the total reach of the France-Argentina final alone was a record 1.42 billion viewers. Argentina celebrates winning the World Cup, after beating France in the final in Qatar in 2022. Photo / AFP Sky held the World Cup rights in 2022, with some free-to-air coverage on Prime and Stuff. Next year's tournament, in the US, Canada and Mexico, features an expanded competition with 48 teams, including - for the third time in the tournament's history - the All Whites. Anyone who thought that Sky's fire-sale purchase of TV3 this week would create a broadcasting monster capable of blowing TVNZ and other rivals out of the water - especially when it comes to sporting and entertainment rights - has not factored in the digital investment which allows media firms to expand their own business models. TVNZ is investing up to $100 million over the next five years as it transforms into a digital-first business, with massive new revenue and audience targets. The new technology means TVNZ would be able to package up a major sporting event, offering - for example - a certain number of games for free, with others requiring a subscription. In the case of the World Cup, it might consider offering some or all of the All Whites matches live and free - along with the final and some other major games - but broadcasting the bulk of the tournament behind a paywall. As Sky becomes a more rounded broadcaster with access to well-established linear channels and - in ThreeNow - a broadcast video on demand (BVOD) platform, so too is TVNZ now encroaching into Sky's subscription TV space. Apart from several years when the ultimately doomed Spark Sport was operating, Sky has enjoyed a virtual monopoly on major New Zealand sports rights for more than three decades. And while TVNZ appears to have the rights for the World Cup - with possibly the Olympics to follow - it may well want to target season-round major codes in the longer term. It has benefitted from having domestic cricket rights after Spark Sport's sudden closure, but Sky has won back those rights after next summer. Special events certainly give broadcasters a short-term boost, but greater value is likely to be in long-term rights to the likes of rugby, league and cricket - full seasons keep subscribers engaged for months, and paying good money to follow their teams each week. Sky right now is on the cusp of securing rights for All Blacks and other top-level rugby such as Super Rugby, although NZR and Sky are still haggling over price. At the moment, the new rugby deal is for another five years, with Three (TV3) now looking more probable as the free-to-air platform, following Sky's announcement this week that it was buying the channel from Warner Bros Discovery. Olympics rights TVNZ chief executive Jodi O'Donnell. TVNZ is also believed to be a frontrunner to secure rights to the Olympics in 2027 - it's in a battle with Sky for those rights, too. In June, TVNZ chief executive Jodi O'Donnell indicated that the state broadcaster was bidding for the rights to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 – New Zealand is one of the territories for which rights have yet to be confirmed. In Australia, Nine has the rights to the 2028 Games as well as the Brisbane Olympics in 2032, and it is possible the International Olympic Committee (IOC) could be packaging up the rights for both sets of Games for a New Zealand broadcaster. TVNZ last held the Olympics rights in 2008, for the Beijing Games. More than 2.6 million Kiwis watched the Games in their opening weekend that year. Since then, Sky has had the rights for the 2012 London Games, 2016 Rio Games, 2020 Tokyo Games (TVNZ had secondary free-to-air rights) and 2024 Paris Games. Sky TV's 12 channels of coverage for the Olympic Games in London in 2012. Sky said last year that a total of 2.82 million people – 57% of New Zealand's population – watched the Paris Olympic Games. 'If you look at something like the Olympic Games, for example, the ability for that to be brought to New Zealanders so they can watch it free but the ability for us to compete for those rights means that we need to find some different revenue options as well,' O'Donnell said, of TVNZ's pending new technology. 'That might be an option that you'd think about – an Olympics Pass, for example.' Asked directly if TVNZ was bidding for the Olympics, O'Donnell said: 'There's quite a few sports rights in the market at the moment. We haven't been shy about our ambitions around that. We put our best foot forward. 'I don't have anything to share with lots of sporting rights available in the market at the moment.' Sky chief executive Sophie Moloney and Warner Bros. Discovery Australia and New Zealand managing director Michael Brooks at this week's press conference, following the announcement that Sky was buying Three for $1. Photo / Cameron Pitney Sky confirmed in June it was also vying for the Olympics rights. 'All our content partnerships need to make financial sense for Sky, both in their own right and as part of the overall mix of sport that we bring to our customers, and we are having constructive discussions on that basis,' said a spokeswoman at the time. 'We think it's healthy to have choice in the local media ecosystem, particularly as sports codes need broadcast partners from grassroots right through to high-performance competitions. 'Most of the headline-making sport in New Zealand and a high-performing range of entertainment content is on Sky.' MetService also enters subscription market Another state-owned commercial business, the MetService, has started charging audiences for weather forecasts as part of a new trial. The MetService has given customers the option of a $1.99 monthly fee or a $22.99 annual fee should they want an advertising-free experience on the app. The trial has raised eyebrows in some quarters, and on social media, about how a publicly owned weather forecaster could be charging the public for weather forecasts. The MetService is set up as a state-owned enterprise and commercial business. 'We launched the ad-free version of the MetService Weather app in early July as an outcome of customer feedback requesting the option to remove ads,' said a spokeswoman. 'The opportunity to sign up will be available for about one month or until we have the maximum number of participants for the trial, whichever comes first. 'For those who subscribe during the trial period, we've committed to keep the ad-free version of the app available for a minimum of one year. 'Input from subscribers will help us understand if there is enough interest to support an ongoing ad-free or premium service. The trial is ongoing, and we will be reviewing the results once it concludes.' She said the MetService was a state-owned enterprise that operated like a commercial business, returning profits to the Government. 'While key warnings and some forecasts are funded by the Ministry of Transport, most of what you see on our website and apps is paid for through advertising revenue which allows us to offer more forecast locations, data and features. 'We aim to keep ads balanced and user-friendly; however, we know they can sometimes get in the way, that's why we are exploring the viability of an ad-free option.' Stuff print site for sale Stuff's 35-year-old newspaper printing plant in Wellington faces an uncertain future with news that the owner of the site is selling up. Bayleys is advertising the land and buildings at 35 Bouverie St, Petone - the publishing company leases the site from Stuff's former owner, Australian media firm Nine Entertainment. The plant prints The Post and a range of Stuff's other North Island-based newspapers. Stuff also has a print plant in Christchurch. Stuff leases the printing site in Petone from Nine Entertainment. Photo / Bayleys 'Home to the same use for over 30 years, time is almost up for the current tenant, so now is the time to review this site's future alternate uses,' says the Bayleys advertisement. It says current lease arrangements expire no later than May 31, 2028, 'but with a right for the owner to require vacant possession in May/June 2027″. The site is owned by former Stuff owner Nine Entertainment, under the company name Mi9 NZ. 'Sites of this size in such a prime location are few and far between,' says the Bayleys ad. 'This one provides a great opportunity for developers, owner occupiers, and investors alike and gives you time to formulate plans for the property's future and receive a healthy return in the interim.' None of that sounds too promising for any future printing ambitions at the location. Stuff Masthead Publishing managing director Joanna Norris. Photo / RNZ However, Stuff masthead publishing managing director Joanna Norris said last night that the company had been prepared for the sale. 'We (Stuff Ltd) have a current lease for the land and buildings which house our Petone print plant. 'This runs to mid-2027, with a right of renewal option. The site remained in the ownership of Nine Entertainment Co. when Stuff owner and publisher Sinead Boucher bought Stuff back into New Zealand ownership in 2020. 'Nine has now given us notice that it will look to sell the land and began marketing last week. It is a great site, with an excellent tenant. 'Stuff Ltd has known and prepared for this eventuality. If the site is sold, we will work with our new landlord and most likely see out our current lease and renewal with further options in scope. 'This has no impact on our operation or publications.' Staff Masthead Publishing is the division responsible for all of the company's newspapers and digital subscription services, such as The Post and The Press paywalled websites. Earlier this year, it was revealed NZME had been in discussions to buy those assets, but talks were halted as NZME's board changes unfolded. Boucher has said she has no intention to return to the negotiation table, but after this week's seismic changes in the New Zealand media landscape - with Sky buying Three - it would not be a surprise if the parties do start talking again. The full Media Insider column returns next week. Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand's most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME. Watch Media Insider - The Podcast on YouTube, or listen to it on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
Venus Williams returns to the court
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams is back and making more tennis history. Playing her first singles match in 16 months, the 45-year-old became the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match since 47-year-old Martina Navratilova won at Wimbledon more than 21 years ago. Sport reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Melissa Chan-Green. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
