Apertura 2009: River Plate 3 – 1 Atlético Tucumán
By: Christian |
1 Comment
River Plate came from behind to earn a much needed 3-1 victory over Atlético Tucumán Sunday afternoon. The win, River’s third of the year, ended a two game losing streak.
It was once again a tale of two halves with la banda putting on a horrid display in the first 45 minutes, giving up yet another early goal in just the 3rd minute.
Sensing another home defeat, Leo Astrada made two changes to start the second half and it paid off handsomely, with the team turning in a much more inspired performance. River scored three goals in under 10 minutes from Marcelo Gallardo, Diego Buonanotte (River’s best player at the moment), and Daniel Villalba.
The win, though deserved, means that two of River’s victories have been against the two worst teams in table (the other being Chacarita) who were both promoted this season, and who will both surely be relegated next season. But three points are all that matters, and River would do well to repeat their second half performance from Sunday to earn more.
On a side note, I will be posting shorter game descriptions on the blog for the remaining 5 fixtures. It is not because of the team being out of any title contention, but rather I will be focusing more on the upcoming Presidential elections.
2009 Apertura Fixture 14
River Plate 3 – 1 Atlético Tucumán
Scoring Summary:
Emanuel Gigliotti (AT), 3rd
Marcelo Gallardo (RP), 69th
Diego Buonanotte (RP), 74th
Daniel Villalba (RP), 76th
River Plate:
Daniel Vega
Paulo Ferrari, Gustavo Cabral, Nicolás Sánchez, Lucas Orban
Nicolás Domingo, Matías Almeyda, Mauro Díaz, Marcello Gallardo
Mauro Rosales, Diego Buonanotte
Substitutions:
Roberto M. Pereyra for Orban, 46th
Martín Galmarini for Domingo, 46th
Daniel Villalba for Díaz, 70th
Highlights:
Category: Team News
Apertura 2009: Newell’s Old Boys 2 – 1 River Plate
By: Christian | Add Comments
River Plate effectively said goodbye to any chance of qualifying for next year’s Copa Libertadores after losing 2-1 to Newell’s Old Boys Saturday afternoon. The loss leaves River 13 points from the last qualification spot with 18 left to play in the season, but based on their erratic form River are unlikely to make up the deficit.
River have always struggled against Newell’s, and Saturday’s match was no different with the rosarinos taking the lead in the 4th minute. They would far outclass los millonarios in the first half and there was little to suggest that River could pull out an equalizer. So it was a complete surprise when Diego Buonanotte’s strike in the 63rd minute, created out of nothing, put la banda level. But River could not feed of the momentum, and it was just a matter of when after Newell’s took the lead in the 79th minute.
With the league and Sudamericana long out of reach and a dissapointing draw with Boca in the Superclásico, the only thing River had left to fight for this season was to qualify for next year’s Copa, but Saturday’s loss, though not mathematically eliminating them, all but ended that hope. There is still potentially the threat of relegation, but River are 16 points off from the first promocion place, and there are worse teams below them who will most likely grab those spots.
So there it is River fans, the best thing you can say about your team is that they aren’t bad enough to be relegated. Pathetic.
2009 Apertura Fixture 13
Newell’s Old Boys 2 – 1 River Plate
Scoring Summary:
Antonio Boghossian (NOB), 4th
Diego Buonanotte (RP), 63rd
Antonio Boghossian (NOB), 79th
River Plate:
Daniel Vega
Paulo Ferrari, Gustavo Cabral, Nicolás Sánchez, Cristian Villagra
Nicolás Domingo, Matías Abelairas, Diego Barrado
Diego Buonanotte
Marcelo Gallardo, Cristian Fabbiani
Substitutions:
Mauro Díaz for Barraco, 47th
Mauro Rosales for Fabbiani, 72nd
Gustavo Bou for Abelairas, 82nd
Apertura 2009: River Plate 0 – 1 Lanús
By: Christian | 1 Comment
Despite a renewed sense of optimism in recent weeks, River Plate succumbed to their old ways yesterday as they fell 1-0 at home to Lanús.
Prior to the match, River were rocked by the news that Ariel Ortega had left the team on Saturday night after telling coach Leo Astrada that he was in no condition to play against Lanús. Ortega cited a recent poor run of form and personal issues as the reasons for leaving (he did not specifically mention his long battle with alcoholism), and he did not rule out the possibility of retiring from the game all together. It could very well be that Ortega has played his last game for la banda.
It is unknown whether Ortega’s loss affected River’s performance Sunday, but whatever the reason the squad took a step back after winning midweek against Argentinos. Though far from bad, los millonarios just looked lost, and with a crowded midfield, the offense could not get into a rhythm. Lanús took the lead in the 31st minute, and River were simply unable to find the equalizer, despite a brief, second half surge.
River’s main objective over the next seven fixtures will be to qualify for next year’s Copa Libertadores, but they are 10 points adrift of claiming the final qualifying spot, and looking forward they will now have to do without Matías Almeyda, who will miss River’s next game due to yellow card accumulation, as well as Ortega. They will next face a strong Newell’s Old Boys team in Rosario.
2009 Apertura Fixture 12
River Plate 0 – 1 Lanús
Scoring Summary:
Maximiliano Velázquez (L), 31st
River Plate:
Daniel Vega
Paulo Ferrari, Gustavo Cabral, Nicolás Sánchez, Cristian Villagra
Nicolás Domingo, Matías Almeyda, Matías Abelairas, Gustavo Bou, Diego Buonanotte
Marcelo Gallardo
Substitutions:
Mauro Rosales for Bou, 46th
Mauro Díaz for Villagra, 56th
Andrés Ríos for Gallardo, 69th
Apertura 2009: Argentinos Juniors 1 – 2 River Plate
By: Christian | 3 Comments
Goals from Diego Buonanotte and Mauro Rosales helped River Plate end an 8-game winless streak last night in a 2-1 victory at Argentinos Juniors. The win, the first for Leo Astrada since taking charge at River three weeks ago, was also the first away win for la banda in 17 matches.
Once again I apologize for not having seen the game (just my luck), but by all accounts River gave a near copy of their performance against Boca on Sunday: a very strong first half followed by a much weaker second. This difference this time was that River were able to hold on to the lead, despite a late penalty to Argentinos and some tense moments close to the final whistle. Whereas a few weeks ago River would have most certainly drawn, los millonarios instead earned their first victory nearly 2 months to the day of their last win.
The real surprise of the night was the game winner from Mauro Rosales. The striker had struggled under Néstor Gorosito and had all but fallen out of the radar, but his goal last night goal gave River a much needed win and has possibly resuscitated his career. It is still too early to tell if Rosales is our answer at forward, but if last night’s performance serves to give Rosales more confidence, River will be the better for it.
Under Leo Astrada, River are now 1-2-1; hardly worth bragging about, but certainly an improvement from the beginning of the season. We are seeing contributions from a variety of players, from Diego Barrado and Daniel Vega, to our two Matías’, Abelairas, and Alymeda. In other words, it looks like were are finally playing like a team.
Our next match will be this Sunday at home to Lanús.
2009 Apertura Fixture 11
Argentinos Juniors 1 – 2 River Plate
Scoring Summary:
Diego Buonanotte (RP), 29th
Mauro Rosales (RP), 79th
Néstor E. Ortigoza (AJ), 89th
River Plate:
Daniel Vega
Paulo Ferrari, Gustavo Cabral, Matías Almeyda, Nicolás Sánchez
Nicolás Domingo, Diego Barrado, Matías Abelairas
Diego Buonanotte
Ariel Ortega, Cristian Fabbiani
Substitutions:
Mauro Díaz for Fabbiani, 24th
Mauro Rosales for Buonanotte, 70th
Martín Galmarini for Ortega, 80th
Highlights:
Superclasico 2009: River Plate 1 – 1 Boca Juniors
By: Christian | 1 Comment
Photo courtesy La Página Millonaria
River Plate had one of their strongest performances of the year during Sunday’s Superclásico, but despite several opportunities to win the game, los millonarios could only manage a 1-1 draw with Boca Juniors. Marcelo Gallardo would give River an early lead off a beautiful free kick, but Martín Palermo would pull one back for Boca in the second half. Both teams would end the match with 10 men.
While the final result was certainly better than a loss, it was frustrating to see River not come away with what should have been a deserved win. In the first half alone there were three opportunities that River should have converted. One such opportunity came as early as the 6th minute, when Nicolás Domingo, making his return to the starting lineup and having a spectacular day, came within inches of giving River the lead when his shot just missed the far post.
The next chance came amid some controversy when in the 24th minute River was awarded a penalty after Luciano Monzón fouled Diego Bunanotte. But the referee should never have called the penalty after replays showed that Buonanotte had handled the ball with his elbow just before the foul. Despite protests from Boca, the call stood and Ariel Ortega stepped up to take what should have been an easy goal, but el Burrito’s shot was blocked by Roberto Abbondanzieri. To make the whole sequence even more unbelievable, the penalty should have been retaken after Abbondanzieri clearly stepped across his line. A missed, non-existant penalty that should have been replayed – only in Argentina.
Superclasico 2009: River Plate Announce Starting XI
By: Christian | Add Comments
Here is the lineup Leo Astrada will start for tomorrow’s highly anticipated Superclásico:
Daniel Vega
Paulo Ferrari, Gustavo Cabral, Nicolás Sánchez, Cristian Villagra
Nicolás Domingo, Matías Almeyda, Matías Abelairas
Marcelo Gallardo
Ariel Ortega, Diego Buonanotte
My take? This is pretty much River’s best starting XI, and on paper at least, it’s the right lineup to take on Boca. What worries me is age – Almeyda, Gallardo, and Ortega are all still quality players, but they are in their mid-30’s, and fatigue may become an issue. As River track back to defend, they don’t want to be in a position where three of their starters are not fast enough to keep up with Boca’s attack. Also, with three natural playmakers on the field at one time (Gallardo, Ortega, and Buonanotte), it will hard for them to not cancel each other out.
My other worry is the lack of a true forward in attack. Buonanotte can score goals, but he is not a natural forward, and I would imagine he will be used on the wings, leaving Ortega as the lone striker which is not where is most dangerous. We also lack height for corners and free kicks.
Still, Vega is our best keeper and the defense looks solid. If they can frustrate Boca, particularly in the first half, they can hopefully give our offense the time to grab that important first goal.
2009 Superclasico: Knowing Thyself
By: Christian | 1 Comment
Yesterday I wrote about Boca Juniors’s recent form coming into this Sunday’s Superclásico. Now let’s look at the Good Guys:
How to summarize This River’s season? As usual, the numbers tell the whole story. Through nine league games, los millonarios have won just one game, barely beating a team that last year played in the second division. They’ve drawn three and lost five, leaving them in 16th place in the Apertura and only 17 points off one of the promocion spots in the relegation table, all while allowing 15 goals against 9 scored. And let’s not forget the Sudamericana elimination.
So with all that in mind, how can River have any realistic chance at beating a rejuvenated Boca on Sunday? They can, but it will require them to stick to the basic fundamentals of football. Little things, like not blowing an early lead, or allowing three goals before half time.
2009 Superclasico: Knowing They Enemy
By: Christian | 5 Comments
Every season, River Plate fans demand only three things: win the league, win the Copas (the Libertadores and the Sudamericana), and beat Boca Juniors in the bi-annual Superclásico.
Unfortunately in recent years, River usually enter the country’s biggest fixture with the league out of reach and eliminated from one of the international tournaments, and this season is no different. Not only are River out of the Apertura and Sudamericana, but they will spend the rest of the season trying to qualify for next year’s Copa Libertadores while at the same time trying to avoid relegation.
While a win over their most hated rivals might seem good enough, River must instead use this opportunity to take a huge first step towards achieving the goals defined above. A win Sunday could be just the thing to not only salvage our season, but to ensure international football next year.
Winning a Superclásico is easier said than done, so with that in mind, let’s preview our opponents for this Sunday:
Category: 2009 AperturaTiros Libres: Some Unfinished Business Before The Superclásico
By: Christian | Add Comments
It’s time for yet another patented, Offside apology-for-no-recent-posts post! I spent the last week and a half back home in chilly Chicago for a wedding (not my own), and now that I’m back in sunny San Diego, I can get down to the real business at hand: getting everyone ready for next Sunday’s Superclásico. But before I get to that, here’s a brief recap of some of the news from last week.
Fixture 8
River Plate 1 – 3 Independiente
Leo Astrada got a rude awakening in his first game back as River head coach, as la banda suffered a humiliating defeat at home. Independiente were leading 3-0 before halftime, and a late goal by Marcelo Gallardo, back from injury, did little to soften the blow. Cristian Fabbiani again made news by sushing the crowd after being booed during his second half substitution. He apologized afterwards, but he’s beyond redemption at this point. Seriously, why is he still here?
Fixture 9
Huracán 0 – 0 River Plate
From what I hear River earned their point against Huracán, thanks in large part to a stand out performance from goalkeeper, Daniel Vega.
Finally, Rodrigo Archubi was suspended after testing positive for a banned substance. The substance in question has not been identified, but let’s hope for his sake that it’s something like cocaine, because if it turns to to be a performance enhancing drug, he clearly needs a refund.
Look for more Superclásico news to follow this week.
Tiros Libres: A Monumental Stadium
By: Christian | Add Comments
Argentina will return to the Monumental stadium this Saturday for a must-win World Cup Qualifier against Peru. Please feel free to visit the Argentina World Cup Blog to chat with other fans before and during the match.
It’s a return to the stadium that has been the de facto home for the national team, who played their previous qualifier against Brazil at Rosario Central’s Gigante de Arroyito after head coach Diego Maradona complained, among other things, about the state of the pitch and the distance of the fans to the field. The move to the smaller confines of the Arroyito was supposed to lift Argentina to a win over rivals Brazil.
Of course, Argentina laid an egg and lost 3-1, and with only two games left in qualifying and a real possibility that the country will miss next year’s World Cup in South Africa, the final home fixture has been moved back to the Monumental. After extensive renovations to the pitch and a new paint job, the stadium should be in much better condition to please Maradona. How any of it will help a team struggling to secure even a playoff spot remains to be seen.
If you’re interested to learn more about the Monumental, Soccer Source has a very entertaining and well researched story on the history of the stadium, which they recently ranked number 8 in their list of World Soccer Meccas (one spot ahead of the Bombonera, no less). The article references such historic moments as the 1986 and 1996 Copa Libertadores victories, and tragedies such as the Puerta 12 disaster, where 71 fans where killed in a crush at one of the gates. And for you nervous Albiceleste fans, there’s even a section on Argentina’s 3-1 triumph over the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup final.
Thanks to Nathaniel Baker for the link.
Category: Team News
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