Oscar Exquil Zeballos king His tribute match in the Superclásico is against River Plate in the Monumental. The 23-year-old striker suffered a major blow when he scored in one of those transcendent matches that will be unforgettable and will remain engraved in the memory of the team’s fans. Boca Juniors. That’s why he unleashed his rage as he did, in his own net, after his assist to Miguel Merentel and when he was sent off at the end of the match. Absolute confidence and the possibility of renewing the contract.
he Changito Live the dream of the present. After passing Three serious injuries Who broke his perception as a professional and put his career under control, today he enjoys the ownership he has earned through effort and good performance. To enjoy now, the 7 that have sparks twin Barros Schelotto celebrates how Neymar had to go through difficult obstacles and turned to his inner circle so as not to get lost.
to Zeballos The injuries that plagued him as he established himself in Boca Juniors’ first team are increasingly behind him. The boy from the national team’s youth team who signed his first contract with the club in December 2018 and already in 2020 carried out his first pre-season, already had several matches under his belt when misfortune knocked on his door. Agricultural defender Milton Leyendecker His kick without the ball took him off the field in the 6th minute in a duel for the Argentine Cup. Studies were identified Fracture and ligament injury with injury to the tibia, fibula and right ankle. Thus, the wild winger who scored no less than Barcelona in the Maradona Cup held in Saudi Arabia a few months ago, has stepped away from football for an indefinite period of time.
His will and love for football are what made him Rehabilitation times will accelerate. Recovery period from Changito It extended between August 2022 and the beginning of 2023. At the end of Hugo Ibarra’s cycle, the Santiago native once again added official minutes in search of his best physical and footballing levels. He even entered professional league duels against Atlético Tucuman, Central Cordoba de Santiago del Estero and Talleres de Cordoba, but suffered severe discomfort in his left knee as a result of a knee trauma. T She forced him to stop again. The medical department at Zeniz confirmed a new surgical procedure: This time it was meniscus.
In April 2023, under the leadership of Jorge Almiron, he failed to return against Estudiantes de la Plata in La Bombonera. He replaced Oscar Romero and added 17 minutes, but the latest injury is still bothering him and he should have stopped longer. His official return was to participate in the Copa Argentina against Paracas Central in July of that year, where he had the pleasure of performing in his home province. “After three months of not playing, I am very happy. I want to thank my family, those who work with me, and my girlfriend, who has had a very difficult year. “It’s life’s lessons, and we have to move on, as my father says.”, Oscar Exequiel, who goes by his father’s first name, even though he does not use it, declared, a fundamental stronghold that has accompanied him on every pitch since he was in the youth ranks.
From then on, Almirón took him into consideration for the rest of the season, even giving him minutes in 16 of the next 17 official matches (he only used him in the Libertadores semi-final return leg against Palmeiras in Brazil). In that period he completed four full matches, finishing with two goals and four assists. The most recent was for Miguel Merentel in Boca’s defeat in Cordoba against Belgrano 4-3 in the League Cup. Zeballos replaced Jorman Campuzano that night and lasted only 9 minutes on the field: a dispute over a ball on the goal line prompted him to make an incorrect move and Torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The tears that streamed down his cheeks as he left with the paramedics said it all.
Less than a month before the Libertadores final against Fluminense at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, all Zeballos’ dreams were dashed once again. Again the operating room, again a wide recovery, again looking at the ball from afar, again shuffling the ball and coming back. Not all footballers are mentally capable of dealing with three injuries in a 14-month period. It would not be unreasonable to assume that many of them would entertain the idea of throwing all their efforts overboard, abandoning their careers and devoting themselves to something else. But in ChangitoWith a strength of resilience rarely seen, nothing shook it off its axis.
“He’s a little bull, he’s never been down or emotionally bad. When you see his smile and the dimples appear on his cheeks, it’s because he’s fine.”say those who know him best. The latest injury occurred as his girlfriend’s pregnancy was already progressing, which is why family shelter has been the cornerstone of his physical and mental recovery. after knifeOff-field work began, on many occasions, at the same time as the training sessions planned by the club’s technical staff.
A few weeks after the Copa America stopped in mid-2024 and facing his imminent return to the stadiums, he said: “I was sad this time, but life is like this and we have to move forward. These experiences pass, and injuries happened to me very quickly, but the important thing is to always be happy, and I am very happy not to be close to playing again.” The birth of his daughter was his daily fuel To prepare and take her to La Bombonera to accompany him so that he can devote his goals to her life.
The big comeback came in an almost extreme situation: Boca had finished second in its region in the Sudamericana and had to play a play-off match against Independiente del Valle without its four reinforcements due to a late registration. Diego Martinez He sent him onto the field for the goalless first leg in Quito, replacing Mauricio Benitez with 20 minutes remaining. It did not put him in the rematch in the Bombonera, but it did give him a few more minutes in the duels against Defensa y Justicia and Instituto Córdoba for the professional league. Next came an innovation that he was uncomfortable with.
Martinez put him in the starting lineup, but in… An unprecedented obstacle situation In the two matches against Banfield and Paracas Central (3-0 and 1-1 respectively in La Bombonera). It didn’t collide, but it wasn’t completely found either. Far from wanting to occupy the position indicated by the coaching staff for him, Zeballos is a pure winger and prefers to move on the left wing with a variable leg. From there, he alternated ownership and substitution while watching the elimination match against Cruzeiro in Brazil from the bench, a result that damaged the coach’s continuity.
Zeballos was the player who stood up best during the transition Diego Martinez and Fernando Gago With Mariano Herron in the middle. Pintitawho feels very attached to the man from Santiago because of the manliness with which he faced various injuries just as in his playing days, gave him a lot of experience in his tournament and used it as a card to twist history in the last Superclásico played in the Monumental, where the Seven had an unbeatable chance to equalize the equalizer he missed.
His dribbles, bikes and audacity drive the fans crazy and for this reason he has become one of the most spoiled players in the Bombonera stands, although the number of missed chances as a starter has led to him being questioned and even whispered about in many matches.
The emotional roller coaster that Changito Last year, his return to scoring included a goal against Godoy Cruz at the beginning of November 2024, a match in which he could not contain his tears of emotion, but also A clear sign of character When he stands in front of the captain Edinson Cavaniwhen the Uruguayan scolded him for throwing the ball after Milton Jimenez’s goal in the 1-0 win over Gimnasia La Plata at La Bombonera. In plain sight, they collided with the team’s highest authority with a shocking international attack against a child. Made in Bocca Predio, who did not want his manuscripts to be trampled into the institution.
Zeballos has scored 3 goals and made 2 assists in Boca’s last five matches. After his impressive performance against Paracas Central, he seemed to have secured the title at a crucial moment of the year, when Zénizi was playing to qualify for the Libertadores and was approaching the round of 16 of the final league. The vast majority of team members have a medium or long-term site contract. One of the next problems to be resolved is the Changito deal, which expires in December 2026. The board plans to start talks in the coming months to extend the stay of one of Boca Predeo’s gems.
Some time ago, when he was still making his way through the reserve, Riquelme praised him and predicted what the future would bring: “Zeballos has things that I see in very few. He kicks with both legs the same way, he kicks free throws. He has a lot of things and we will take great care of him, and that’s why we will deal with him little by little. He has competed with his rivals on a physical level, and now he needs another step to match the Premier League.” When he achieves that, he will undoubtedly make Boca fans enjoy it.“.
“My dream is to play in the Bombonera and throw magic.”is what was mentioned by the little Exequiel who appeared in Sarmiento de la Banda de Santiago del Estero when he was about to move to the Boca Juniors pension. Ten years later, Changito He reaps what he sows. The future of Zeballos has been arriving for some time.
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