The Super Clásico is the heated rivalry between Buenos Aires clubs River Plate and Boca Juniors and MLS Cup will feature its own little piece of that rivalry when the New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew meet.

The two sides have former players from opposite sides of the aisle in the NYRB’s Juan Pablo Ángel and Columbus Crew forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

After staring his career with Nacional Medellin of Colombia, Angel played for River Plate between 1997 and 2001 when he transferred to Aston Villa of the English Premier League.  During his spell at River, the striker found the back of the net 45 times.

Schelotto played ten of his 16 years in the Argentinean professional league with Boca Juniors.  During his career in South American, the striker scored 106 goals in 391 games (all competitions).  Ironically his first goal as a professional came against River while playing for Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata.

The last time Ángel and Schelotto faced each other in Argentina was the Boca-River SuperClásico in the Torneo Apertura of 2000, when River Plate tied at home 1-1, with goals from Boca’s Martin Palermo and River’s Javier Saviola. 

In the eight SuperClásicos they played between 1998 and 2000, the Argentine fared better with three wins for Boca, two wins for River, and three draws. 

The battle between the two players has continued in Major League Soccer.  Their teams faced off twice in the 2007 season.  In the first game, Angel scored one goal in a 4-0 drubbing of the Crew. Although Schelotto did not play in their next match, the Crew got revenge with a 1-0 win.

In 2008, Guillermo and Ángel met on two occasions.  In the clubs’ second match of the season the Red Bulls beat the Crew 2-0 at home, and then again in the last match of season, the Red Bulls were triumphant when Ángel scored twice in the 3-1 away win.  The Red Bulls had previously lost to the Crew 3-1 in a third match, though Schelotto was injured and did not play.