Related:
Barras Bravas: The Intertwining of Violence and Fanatacism
A Weekend of Uncontrollable Football Violence

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The Superclásico is here and all of Buenos Aires is counting down the hours until kickoff. A world renowned event, noted for unmatched fan passion, the Superclásico is the most popular game of the year in Argentine football.

Tickets prices have reached as high as $1,300 pesos a seat, a month’s salary to much of Argentina. The high prices are largely fueled by football tourists who make the trip to Buenos Aires for the express purpose of seeing the Superclásico. In 2004 The Observer put the Superclásico at the top of their list of 50 sporting events to see before you die, causing a yearly pilgrimage of European football fans.

Photo By: Fabricio Di Dio

Boca and River started playing the Superclásico in 1913 and have an essentially split record, with Boca winning 65 matches, River 61 and playing to a draw an additional 55 times. This year both Boca and River are battling at the top of a closely contested Clausura Championship, supplying an additional importance to the game. Boca is playing host on Sunday, bringing the yearly circus to the already fevered atmosphere of the Bombonera.

The Boca / River rivalry absorbs the entire country, with over 70% of football fans claiming allegiance to one of the two teams. A simple hand gesture is enough to answer the most asked question in the country; Who are you? Your team is as much an identifier of person hood as your name and the appropriate response is to either wrap an arm across your chest or your stomach, recreating the River or Boca jersey respectively.

The official start time is Sunday at 15:10 despite calls to move the game to the morning. The Secretary of Sports, Javier Castrilli, called for an earlier start time, presumably to lessen the inebriation level of the crowd thereby lowering the risk of violence. In a curious switch of job responsibilities the Minister of Security and Justice, Anibal Fernandez, tossed aside the calls for change arguing that it would be too disruptive to the players’ schedules. The ministry will be meeting on Wednesday to discuss security levels at the game, which routinely break down into riots as the losing side takes out it’s frustrations on anything close enough to throw or stab.

Photo By: Maximiliano Neira

In a country plagued by football violence, the worst incidents routinely take place during Boca / River games. The infamous "Puerta 12" tragedy is often pointed to as an example of the complete breakdown of security at Argentine football matches. At the 1968 Superclásico 71 fans were killed in a crush at an entrance gate. The deaths were blamed alternatively on Boca fans throwing burning flags and urinating on the crowd and River fans pushing the crowd into the entrance gate, which was not only locked but forced closed with a metal bar. Due to the multiple versions of events spectators told, no culprit was ever officially identified. The only change authorities did make was to stop using numbers on the entrance gates, so an incident at Puerta 12 couldn’t be repeated.

This has been a particularly deadly sporting year in Argentina, with multiple barra bravas (supporter groups) suffering through internal convulsions due to changing leadership. There have been several incidents of massive brawls and dozens of deaths taking place both inside and outside of stadiums. River and Boca have been particularly hard hit this year, leading many to watch the stands with as much interest as the activities on the pitch.

Boca Jrs advertisement mocking River Plate.

Tickets can be found on both Mercadolibre.com and BuenosAires.CraigsList.org . Since both sites are offering tickets through resellers, buyer caution is advised.