Watch: Boca Juniors and River Plate Tally Five Red Card, Nine Yellow Cards In Preseason Friendly

When there’s a Superclásico, all pretense of sportsmanship and decorum go out the window. Even for preseason friendlies. (“Friendly,” of course, being something of an oxymoron.)

The two Argentine giants faced off in one of the country’s several pre-season tournaments). Since it was just a friendly, you’d think that two of the fiercest rivals in world football would consider possibly maybe pulling their punches a little. And you would be wrong.

Five red cards. (Boca with three, River with two.) Nine yellows. 40 fouls. A mass brawl. Carlos Tevez— remember him?— getting headbutted. And the game was decided with a penalty to River after a Boca defender committed a deliberate handball in the box (which sparked the mass brawl seen above).

Tevez was asked later about the headbutting incident with River’s Jonathan Maidana.

“Neither of us behaved well. You regret it afterwards because it generates violence outside [the pitch].”

The second leg— yes really— is scheduled for this Saturday. Can they top this weekend’s card discipline record? Only time will tell.