River Look To Put Copa Failure Behind Them In Must-Win League Match Today
By: Christian |
Add Comments
After their shocking elimination at the hands of the San Lorenzo this past week in the Copa Libertadores, River will now need to put that dark night behind them if they are to continue their push to win the Clausura. You can see the game against Gimnasia (LP) delayed on Fox Soccer Channel at 11PM ET.
Remember that River as of now are tied for 1st on points with Estudiantes and San Lorenzo, so anything other than a win is not an option. Later this week I’ll have my thoughts on that very game against San Lorenzo in the Copa.
Check back soon for results.
Tags: River OUT of Copa Libertadores: Shame Tonight At The Monumental
By: Christian | 7 Comments
I am in such a state of shock right now that I still can’t believe it: River Plate were up 2-0 with a 2 man advantage over San Lorenzo, yet shockingly conceded 2 goals in the 2nd half, thus going out of this years Copa Libertadores 4-3 on aggregate.
I can’t say anymore tonight. What a disaster.
Category: Copa LibertadoresClausura 2008: Boca Juniors 1 - 0 River Plate
By: Christian | 5 Comments
OK, so I finally crawled out of the rock I’ve been hiding under. I cleaned up all the broken dishes I smashed on the floor (true story). I took a walk around the block, counted to ten, slept on it. But though I’m slightly calmer than I was yesterday, the result still hurts.
Yes, Boca Juniors defeated a poor, pathetic River Plate yesterday 1-0 in the Superclásico, ending a 5 match unbeaten run for los millonarios, but even worse, preventing Diego Simeone’s squad from taking sole possession of the Clausura table, while in front of a raucous Bombonera, propelling Boca back into the title race.
I’ll say it now so that it’s on the record: Boca were the better team on the day and deserved the victory. With that out of the way, let me get to what I really think:
Superclasico!!
By: Christian | Add Comments
The most important fixture in all of South America is only hours away, when our beloved River Plate will attempt to defeat hated Boca Juniors at the Bombonera, in a match you can watch live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports Español at 2PM ET.
Not only is pride at stake, but with the 2-1 loss of Estudiantes at the hands of Argentinos Juniors last night, River have an amazing opportunity to take sole possession of 1st place. While a loss would still keep us tied for first with Estudiantes, a win would give us 30 points, and more importantly, give us some distance from San Lorenzo, Independiente, and Boca, who are all hot on our tails.
I make no predictions when it comes to Boca. Recent history favors los millonarios; since 2004, the last year River won the league, we’ve held Boca to a 4-1-3 record, and are unbeaten in the last 5 meetings. Under Diego Simeone, River have been much improved since the beginning of the season, but our defense continues to leak goals. Boca meanwhile, have not exactly shined in the league this year, but at home with a potent offense of Riquelme, Palacio, and Palermo, River will need to be be perfect to gain the 3 points we desperately need.
The above picture is from the last Superclásico, when behind Ariel Ortega’s brilliant performance at the Monumental, River won 2-0. However, during that troubled season, River did not have much else to celebrate; this year, the title is almost ours, and we are still alive in the Copa.
So brace yourself for what I hope will be a brilliant game, free of violence, and hopefully full of attacking football that we are used to seeing in Argentina. And of course, I hope that when the referee blows his whistle after 90 minutes, we can all scream, RIVER PLATE, EL MAS GRANDE!
Clausura 2008: River Plate 4 - 2 Argentinos Juniors
By: Christian | 5 Comments
Another exciting match this afternoon in the Clausura for River, but this time los millonarios came out with the victory, defeating a determined Argentinos Juniors side 4-2 at home, and starting off this massively important week with a resounding performance. After facing a resurgent San Lorenzo this Wednesday in the Copa Libertadores, River will travel south to the Bombonera to face Boca Juniors in the most important match of the season, made even bigger now as both teams are in the midst of a proper title race.
Argentinos proved to be a worthy opponent on the day, and they kept Diego Simeon’s men on their heels for most of the 90 minutes. But after coming into the second half with a 1-1 draw, River left it all out on the field. Abreu and Falcao each netted a goal, but it was the two golazo’s from Diego Buonanotte that will be to remember. El Enano had his best performance of the season by far, and was an absolute giant on the field, no pun intended. Again, much praise again must go to our keeper, Juan Pablo Carrizo, for saving at least two goals.
You’ll have to forgive me for not providing a more in-depth match analysis, but right now all my thoughts are looking ahead to what could possibly be one of the greatest week’s for River in recent memory. A must win in the Copa, and the ever-important fixture against voka at the Bombonera, where will will fight to defeat our biggest rival and maintain our lead atop the Clausura.
Today was the second and final home date played without any fans in terraces as punishment for the violence at the Amalfitani stadium. While we certainly must not forget that embarrassment upon our club, today’s performance, coupled with our title hopes still alive in the Copa and a race in the league that could go down to the wire, today reminds us what football in Argentina should be, and this is the River Plate that we fans demand.
I want to beat Boca. I want the League. I want the Copa. Vamo’ River, carajo!! Te Quiero Ver Campeon!!!!!
River Plate:
Juan Pablo Carrizo
Paulo Ferrari, Gustavo Cabral, Nicolás Sánchez, Cristian Villagra
Leonardo Ponzio, Matias Abelairas
Radamel Falcao , Alexis Sánchez (Ariel Ortega 45th), Diego Buonanotte (Andrés L. Ríos, 88th)
Sebastián Abreu (Nicolás Domingo, 69th)
Copa Libertadores 2008: River to Face San Lorenzo in Round of 16
By: Christian | 7 Comments
River Plate will face a familiar foe in their quest to reach the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals, as they are set to meet local Primera rivals San Lorenzo de Almagro. Today’s draw set up the ties for the round of 16, with River and San Lorenzo the only fixture in which teams from the same country will compete against one another.
While every game at his point in the Copa will be difficult, this draw presents a unique challenge. San Lorenzo did not start off the season well, and struggled to even score goals. But the team has found its form of late, rising all the way to 4th position in the league table.
The storylines will almost certainly center on San Lorenzo’s coach Ramón Díaz, who in 1996 led River Plate to their last Copa title, and on former star player Andrés D’Alessandro.
The first match will be played April 30th, with the second leg May 7th. Should River advance they will face the winner of Estudiantes and LDU Quito.
Full Fixtures:
Fluminense (Brazil) - Atlético Nacional (Colombia)
Flamengo (Brazil) - América (México)
River (Argentina) - San Lorenzo (Argentina)
Atlas (México) - Lanús (Argentina)
Cruzeiro (Brazil) - Boca (Argentina)
Estudiantes (Argentina) - Liga de Quito (Ecuador)
Cúcuta Deportivo (Colombia) - Santos (Brazil)
Sao Paulo (Brazil) - Nacional (Uruguay)
Clausura 2008: Rosario Central 2 - 1 River Plate
By: Christian | 3 Comments
I warned this past week that River could be due for a big surprise in the league, and sure enough, los millonarios suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 2-1 at the hands of Rosario Central in a pulsating match.
Much like last season’s fixture in the Apertura, this meeting against Central was one of the most exciting games of the year, and once again River came up short. Despite a decent performance from Diego Simeone’s squad, Central, despite having another season near the bottom of the table, left it all out on the pitch.
River would strike the first blow on an excellent strike from Diego Buonanotte in the 19th minute, which silenced, at least temporarily, the ecstatic home crowd. But ten minutes later, Central were even after a shot from Emilio Zelaya went just past Juan Pablo Carrizo. The goal, only the third conceded by River all season, ended a shutout streak of nearly 600 minutes. And when Martín Arzuaga put the home team up in the 43rd, River found themselves behind for the first time in the entire Clausura.
The second half was one of the most tense seen yet, with River struggling to push forward against a Central team who were clearly gassed, but doing everything to deny la banda. But the tide changed when Rosario’s Leonardo Borzani received a red card in the 74th minute, and River began to throw everything towards the goal in search of the equalizer. In the end, Central were just good enough to deny River the draw, and were the unlikely squad to hand us our first defeat in the league.
Copa Libertadores: River Through To Final 16
By: Christian | 3 Comments
With a 5-0 romp over Peruvian club San Martín, River blasted their way into the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores, finishing atop Group 5 with 12 points.
For 90 minutes last night, River showed none of the weaknesses that have so far defined their campaign, instead displaying an attacking flair that did not settle after the first goal. And while many will suggest that River had an easy task against a minor team from Peru, remember that this was the same San Martín that defeated los millonarios 2-0. And if there was one player who chose the right moment to break out, it was El Loco Abreu, who had his finest start since wearing la banda gloriosa, scoring three goals and receiving ovations from the crowd and local press. Radamel Falcao and Andrés Ríos were the other scorers on the night.
River fans are experiencing an incredible week. First in the Clausura, through to the final 16 in the Copa, the emergence of Abreu, and the probable return of captain Ariel Ortega this weekend against Rosario Central. There are now real hopes of some silverware in the near future, and last night’s stunning display of the kind of football we are used to seeing from River just might be a sign of good things to come.
NOTES: Special thanks must be given to Fox Sports Español for showing the result of the match during the delayed broadcast that ran after the Católica v América game. And if that wasn’t enough, the entire second half was plagued with satellite problems.
Mid-Season Report and the Road to the 2008 Clausura Title
By: Christian | 3 Comments
With their 1-0 win to Tigre this past Sunday, River Plate now sit atop the Clausura table with 24 points, and only 9 more games stand between them and their first league title since 2004. Despite playing a football that has ranged from unimaginative to maddeningly bad, new coach Diego Simeone has somehow managed to lead his team to a 7-3-0 record, and so far have conceded only 2 goals.
It’s that last statistic that is most amazing. After leading the league last season with 33 goals against, two more than their own offense scored, it’s a completely different story in this Clausura, all the while still having a shaky back line. Offensively the team aren’t quite as improved, totaling only 12 goals on the season, and having played out their previous 3 matches to rather dull 1-0 victories.
Still, there have been plenty of positives. Diego Buonanotte looks to finally be maturing into the star player we’ve only glimpsed at. Alexis Sánchez is a fan favorite, with chorus’s of “Chileeeeeeeno” raining down from the stands nearly every time he plays. Cristian Villagra, who struggled all last season, seems to have regained his confidence and has looked solid at fullback. And if there is an MVP candidate, it has to be keeper Juan Pablo Carrizo, the player most responsible for River’s current lead.
Clausura 2008: River Plate 1 - 0 Tigre
By: Christian | 1 Comment
In front of a nearly empty Monumental, River squeaked out a 1-0 win this afternoon over Tigre to maintain their position atop the Torneo Clausura.
Reverting yet again to a 3-3-3-1 formation, Diego Simeone’s River continued their current season form, playing unattractive but efficient football for much of the match. Despite a strong opponent in Tigre, who have played very well under coach Diego Cagna since their return to the top flight, River came away with the game’s only goal in the 50th minute thanks to a header by Falcao, and despite some scares, it would be enough for the victory.
Though fielding what has been called a formation that is supposed to produce offensive football, it instead reduced River’s already fragile backline to one less man, and it showed in the second half with Tigre looking for the equalizer. But it was Juan Pablo Carrizo to the rescue, who again had a stellar afternoon. More than any other player, the keeper is most responsible for the position that River are in, and today he proved it with his 6th consecutive clean sheet in league play.
Next for River, a must-win at home in the Copa Libertadores.
NOTES: Beyond today’s performance, the real story was the empty terraces due to the incidents at the Amalfitani two weeks ago. Thanks to the actions of a few, two games in the league have been devoid of any sort of atmosphere where true River supporters can support their club. An embarrassment.
River Plate
Juan Pablo Carrizo
Gustavo Cabral, Eduardo Tuzzio, Augusto Fernández (Paulo Ferrari, 80th)
Cristian Villagra, Oscar Ahumada, Matias Abelairas
Alexis Sánchez, Radamel Falcao García, Diego Buonanotte (Nicolás Domingo, 74th)
Sebastián Abreu (Leonardo Ponzio, 57th)
Category: Team News
Home 
