Boca beats River in 1st clásico of Argentina women’s soccer

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Boca Juniors routed archrival River Plate 5-0 on Tuesday in the first “superclásico” of Argentina’s new professional women’s soccer league.

Veteran Fanny Rodríguez scored a hat trick for the host at the Bombonera stadium in front of about 2,000 fans. Captain Florencia Quiñones and Fabiana Vallejos also netted a goal each.

Argentina’s new women’s league started this past weekend, after the country’s soccer federation announced its formation in March.

Women’s soccer is on the rise in Argentina, with the national team qualifying for the latest World Cup in France for the first time in more than a decade. The South American nation is bidding to host the women’s World Cup in 2023.

However, the salaries in the professional women’s league are equivalent to those for men in the country’s fourth division.