Paraguay-based, Argentine-born Carola (35) is rooting for the absolute underdog in the upcoming Supercopa Internacional…
Following the 2024 Copa Sudamericana final, Asunción is hosting yet another top-tier international football match in the coming week. On March 5th, Argentine powerhouses River Plate and Talleres de Córdoba will battle it out for the Supercopa Internacional. For Asunción resident Carola Gallino, this game holds extra special meaning: the Argentine inherited the love for her hometown team Talleres from her father.
The Supercopa Internacional, organised by the Argentine Football Association, will take place on Wednesday at 8pm in Estadio General Pablo Rojas, the home stadium of Paraguayan top team Cerro Porteño, also known as La Nueva Olla.
Supercopa Internacional: ‘A big deal’
“I was really surprised that Talleres is coming to play here in Paraguay,” says 35-year-old Carola, who moved from Córdoba to Asunción last year for work. “The fact that my club is even playing in this final is already a big deal, because traditionally, Talleres is a much smaller club compared to, say, River Plate or Boca Juniors and our last international title win was back in 1999. But to be able to see them play here in my new hometown surprised me even more.”
The explanation for this surprise visit of the teams is tied to the format of the Supercopa Internacional. The tournament pits the national champion against the winner of the Trofeo de Campeones and is held outside Argentina to attract international interest and sponsorships. The first edition took place in 2022 in the United Arab Emirates, but due to prolonged organizational disputes, the second edition in the Middle East was canceled. Asunción stepped in as a replacement host.
‘Too dangerous’
“I think that’s fantastic,” says Carola, who found her love for Talleres at a young age through her father. “My dad grew up in the neighborhood where the stadium is located, and he’s been going to matches for years. My mom never let me go as a little girl because she thought it was too dangerous. On Sundays, the whole family would gather at my grandmother’s house, and we’d watch the game on TV, waiting for my dad to come back from the stadium. Lovely memories.”
Last year, Carola finally got to visit Talleres’ Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes herself – the stadium named after the football legend born in the province of Córdoba in the heart of Argentina.
“For my dad’s birthday, I bought match tickets as a gift. With my brother we went to the game together. It was amazing. Unfortunately my father has to work this week, so he can’t come to Asunción to watch the match against River Plate with me. But I expect a lot of Argentines will travel here. It’s much easier and cheaper for them to come to Paraguay than to go all the way to the United Arab Emirates.”
Record champion
While Talleres has been waiting 26 long years for their next major trophy, River Plate has continued to fill its already impressive trophy cabinet in recent years. The club is Argentina’s record champion with 38 national titles and has won the Copa Libertadores four times. River Plate has produced greats like Alfredo Di Stéfano, Hernán Crespo, and, more recently, current Chelsea player Enzo Fernández and Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez. This season, the club has a Paraguayan player in its ranks, though Matías Rojas has been sidelined in recent weeks due to a muscle injury.
Talleres even has two Paraguayans – Matías Galarza and Blas Riveros – who could take the field in their home country on Wednesday. Carola will be cheering them on extra hard that evening as they chase the Supercopa Internacional. She knows her team is the absolute underdog.
‘Very proud’
“But thanks to good results in recent years, we’re now visible in Argentina, and people are very proud of that. A lot of money has been invested in the club over the past few years, and I think the team is using technology and data in the right way. I’m really looking forward to the match.”
Interested to attend the Supercopa Internacional on March 5th at 8:00 pm in Estadio General Pablo Rojas in Asunción? Check for tickets on Tuti here
