Just when it seemed like the Ariel Ortega saga was behind us, up comes this story from the Dallas Morning News of an audacious bid by MLS side F.C. Dallas to acquire the River Plate idol.

This week, John Ellinger, top assistant to Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman, will travel to Buenos Aires to see players from River Plate, with Ariel Ortega at the top of a wish list of potential signings. The visit will not be the first between the two clubs; Dallas have been in negotiations with River for weeks in hopes of securing a potential partnership between the two teams. Earlier this month River’s Vice President and General Manager were guests of Dallas GM’s Michael Hitchcock at his Texas home, and early reports claim the meeting was a successful one.

So will we be seeing Ortega in a different red and white kit? It seems unlikely. Ortega has declared his peace with Diego Simeone, was recently made captain for the second season in a row, and has stated more than once of his intention to retire with River. But with Dallas announcing they would spend what it takes to find the right player, the scenario is perhaps not that far-fetched. River President Jose Aguilar has been known to sell off players for the right price in the past, and el Burrito himself came very close to joining Estudiantes when it seemed that relations between him and Simeone were beyond repair, contradicting his statement that he would end his career at the Monumental.

Still, it would be tough to see a player in the last days of an illustrious career making the switch to a league like MLS, which, with all due respect, who be a significant drop from La Primera. But if Guillermo Barros Schelotto can transfer his diving skills from Boca to the Columbus Crew, perhaps Ortega, who on his day is still a remarkable player on any lineup, will see MLS as an attractive destination.

Our friends over at the River Plate Israel Filial celebrated what may have been the group’s biggest moment yet in its brief history, when they welcomed none other than Daniel Passarella, River playing and coaching legend, to Tel Aviv last week.

With El Kaiser in town to accept the title of World Ambassador for Peace from the Peres Center for Peace, the first South American to receive such an honor, the filial took this once in a lifetime opportunity to welcome the former Argentina 1978 World Cup Captain, whose name is also part of the group’s official name, as a special guest. Hours prior to his arrival at Tel Aviv’s international airport, over 40 members had already gathered in anticipation of their hero wearing a variety of River kits from over the years, singing chants (“Ole, ole, ole, oleeeeeeeee, Danieeeeeeel, Danieeeeeeel!”), and jumping up and down as though they were back at the Monumental. When at last El Kaiser appeared, they unfurled the offical River Plate filial banner to greet him, and presented to him a flag of Israel the group had signed as a gift.

Later that evening, Passarella was the guest of honor at a group dinner, where a very gracious Daniel spent hours signing autographs, posing for pictures, and regailing the members with stories of the famous 1978 World Cup win, as well as his thoughts on the current state of River.

Aside from accepting his honorary title, Passarella also used the trip to announce his intention to run for club President in 2009, a position currently held by José Aguilar, and promising to prepare for the next election in the same way during his years as player and coach.

Congratulation to the Israel Filial, and many thanks to President Martin Jona for sending me pictures and video of the event.

1. He Stays: Ortega to Remain at River

When I last posted on the behind the scenes drama between Ariel Ortega and Diego Simeone, little did I realize that the situation was going to deteriorate as quickly as it did, or that Ortega, club legend and fan idol, would come so close to jumping ship.

When Simeone benched Ortega for the 19th and final fixture of the regular season against Banfield, el Burrito, clearly miffed at not being able to celebrate one last time with the fans, proclaimed his career with River was over. It was a threat that seemed even more likely when days later, rumors were flying that Ortega would join, of all places, Estudiantes, to play alongside non other than Juan Sebastián Verón, captain of Estudiantes and vocal critic of, who else, Diego Simeone, whom Verón has publicly accused of breaking his promise to leave the La Plata club after winning the 2006 Apertura. But a last minute intervention with club President Jose Aguilar sealed Ortega’s stay at the Monumental, and fears of an irreparable rift between Ortega and Simeone were silenced after the two met last week, with reports that the duo are prepared to put their differences aside for the sake of the team and the upcoming season.

While I think that Simeone made the wrong decision to bench Ortega on the final day of the season (tact aside, Ortega deserved to be recognized by the public after his contributions to the Clausura championship, and the outcome of the game was irrelevant anyway with the title in hand), Ortega’s repeated stance of being unfairly treated simply do not hold. For one, his problems with alcohol are well documented, and as a result have kept the playmaker on the bench for more than one occasion since his return to River. And secondly, he played nearly equal minutes under Simeone as he did under Daniel Passarella, his mentor, when he was previously managing the team.

What remains to be seen is whether Simeone and Ortega can see past their differences to focus on the tasks at hand in 2009: to beat Boca, to win the league, and to claim the club’s first ever Copa Sudamericana. With neither player nor manager bigger than the shirt, both will need to set their egos aside to repeat as Champions.

2. He Goes: Abreu Leaves for Israel

Much was expected when the veteran goal-scorer arrived last winter, with an impressive career both at the club and international level. But despite his 7 goals in the Copa Libertadores, Sebastián Abreu’s luck in the league was not as successful, with the striker managing only 2 goals the entire season, and repeatedly the target of jeers and whistles from the home crowd. So it was little surprise when the Uruguayan national decided to try his luck in Europe with Beitar Jerusalem, last year’s champions of Israel, and automatic entrant into the second qualifying round of the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League.

I certainly directed my rage at Abreu more than once during the season, and his criticisms by press and fans alike were warranted by his lack of speed and predictability. But his performance had as much to do with Simeone’s ever-changing lineup and tactics, and his intended role of basically heading down balls to Radamel Falcao and Diego Buonanotte never really took off, especially in a land where the 4-3-1-2 is typically the norm.

Still, el Loco was always a gentlemen and I never doubted his desire to win. While acknowledging the jeers from the home crowd, he never turned on them or made excuses (something “better” players like Juan Pablo Carrizo and Oscar Ahumada failed to do), and was never greedy, as the few goals he did score were always celebrated with the rest of his teammates. Had his penalty in the match against San Lorenzo in the Copa Libertadores held, he could have continued his run in the Copa with perhaps better results. But it was not to be, so el Loco leaves with one more title to add to his list of accomplishments, and will now seek dreams of glory in Europe and the Champions League. I wish him the best of luck.

3. 19 to 34: Fixture List revealed.

The 2008 Apertura season will begin August 10th when River will travel to Santa Fe to face Colón. River have been given the added bonus of hosting 4 of the top five teams at home, with only Independiente to face away. The flip side of course means that in next year’s Clausura, the reverse will be true. The Superclásico will be held October 19th. One interesting note will be the 19th and final fixture December 14th away to Estudiantes, which could just be a title decider. You can read the full fixture list here.

NOTES: As expected, both Juan Pablo Carrizo and Alexis Sánchez have completed their loan spells and returned to Italy to rejoin Lazio and Udinese, respectively. … Diego Buonanotte will be the lone River representative at this year’s Olympic games, joining former player Javier Mascherano on Sergio Batista’s 18-man roster.

It’s been two weeks since los millonarios officially won the 2008 Clausura title, but River Plate and its fans are still celebrating the club’s first title in nearly 4 years. This past Sunday, after their come from behind victory against Banfield closed the season on a high note, the players boarded an open top bus for the traditional caravana around Buenos Aires.

Beginning at the famed Obelisco in the city center, an estimated crowd of 10,000 greeted the team as it slowly made its way through the streets. A sea of white and red braved the cold temperatures to sing songs, wave flags, and thank the players for bringing home the club’s record 33rd local title. After many hours, the bus made its way to the Monumental stadium to end a beautiful day of celebration.

The below pictures are from the official club website, which you can find here.

This fine video below from the excellent La Pagina Millonaria fan site shows all the excitement from the ground.

With their 33rd league title already in hand, River Plate nontheless gave their fans a terrific end to their championship season today, in a come from behind 3-2 win away to Banfield in the 19th and final fixture to close out the 2008 Clausura.

River ,perhaps unsurprisingly, were down 2-0 to the home team for 70 minutes before goals from Radamel Falcao and Matias Abelairas gave los millonarios the win. The large contingent of River fans who traveled to be congratulate the team were given a wonderful win to close out the year, and a fine beginning to the teams “caravan,” in which the players boarded a bus and traveled to the city center for the traditional championship celebration.

Check back soon for pics and videos.

Not a week has passed since River triumphantly wrapped up its 33rd league title, but a controversy already seems to be brewing, and it involve no less that the squad’s most beloved player, Ariel Ortega, recently awarded a 2-year extension. But what should be a happy day for the River captain is instead causing a rift behind the scenes.

With the title in hand, and one more fixture next Sunday away to Banfield to end the Clausura, el Burrito, who has long had a very public struggle with alcoholism, missed practice yet again this past Thursday in another unfortunate relapse. According to reports from within the club, coach Diego Simeone was clearly upset over the absence, referring to it as a “lack of responsibility.” Simeone has shown his displeasure with Ortega over the season, most notably by not starting him for a stretch of games during the second half of the Clausura, which was met with a roar of outrage from the fans.

So yesterday’s decision by River President José María Aguilar to extend Ortega’s contract with the club until 2011, effectively signing the idol until the end of his career, and met with approval by the vast majority of the River faithful, must have come as a slap to the face to Simeone, who must see this as an afront to his role as manager.

And so River faces it’s first big question of the off-season: will Simeone, who has received offers to coach in Spain and whose own contract comes to an end in Decemeber, see this extension as reason to leave the club? It’s clear that neither Simeone nor Aguilar want to be known as the bad guy who let Ortega leave. River fans, have we have seen this season, are a fickle bunch, and neither Aguilar, an unpopular and sometimes hated President, nor Simeone, by no means a fan favorite despite delivering the club’s first trophy in 4 years, want to be saddled with the task. But Simeone must feel as though his role at the club is being comprimised; if Aguilar is making deals regardless of Simeone’s input behind his back, such off-field distractions could hurt the team for the upcoming Apertura and Copa Sudamericana campaigns.

Then there is Ortega himself, as we said, a River legend, who has proven his standing as a top football player and one who bleeds the shirt. But tough questions must be asked of his current health issues, and whether they are affecting his performance and the team’s as a whole. Yes, he had a major role in our title-winning season, and since his return in 2006, he has had some memorable performances, from this highlight-reel goal during a 5-0 thrashing of San Lorenzo in 2006, to his memorable display against Boca in the Superclásico in 2007, where his grace with the ball came to be called, “el baile,” or the dance. Yet for all of those brilliant moments, he has also continued to struggle with this alcoholism, and has missed several games in the process. With one of the questions regarding River’s average play the past few seasons supposedly based on the lack of a true leader, to have one’s captain consistently miss so many games and practices is cause for concern, and the reports this season of several players voicing their displeasure to Simeone behind the scenes showed that.

What does seem clear is that this move by Aguilar to essentially give el Burrito carte blanche at River is less a tactical manuever then a blatant attempt to appease the River fans who could have easily turned on the President had he let Ortega go. Now, Aguilar is being perceived as the man who let Ortega stay. But the fact that he did so by essentially pulling rank over Simeone shows a huge lack of character and respect.

Should Ortega remain at River? Does he have a place in Simeone’s plans? At 34 years, he is not the player he once was, but he can still play at the level of the competetive Primera, and his experience is invaluable to those around him. But one has to expect that such saddening and heartbreaking absences like the one seen this past week will not be going away anytime soon, and like it or not, fans should be worried, first and foremost for the health and safety of one of the great ambassadors of the game, but also for the welfare of the team. With questions surrounding many of the current starting XI, who will leave, who will stay, and who the club will bring in, it remains to be seen whether this contract extension will drive the wedge further into an already fragile situation, or whether one player should be put ahead of an entire team and it’s coach.

Even if that player is an idolo like Ariel Ortega.

River Plate are once again Champions of Argentina, grabbing their 33rd local title this afternoon in a 2-1 win over Olimpo in front of a packed Monumental. With Estudiantes unable to win against Colon, River assured themselves of the title on the 18th fixture of this 2008 Clausura.

Despite a season that was full of surprises, sufferings, embarrassments, and many, many questions, el millo came together at the right time, celebrating in front of their adoring fans at home and worldwide, and ending this tumultuous season on the highest of all notes. The day’s hero was our own Diego Buonanotte, el Enano, son of River, who cemented his legacy in the history books, providing the two goals of the game that gave us our 33rd title, 10 more than voka.

River can rejoice and celebrate a deserved title. They may have taken some hits this season, but they were never out. And true River fans never gave up hope that this squad, led by Diego Simeone and Ariel Ortega would NOT give up, and to once again lead us to cry, River Campeon!

Un abrazo a todos los hinchas de River por el mundo!

River Plate:
Juan Pablo Carrizo
Paulo Ferrari, Gustavo Cabral, Eduardo Tuzzio, Cristian Villagra
Oscar Ahumada, Matías Abelairas
Ariel Ortega (Andrés Ríos 85th), Radamel Falcao, Diego Buonanotte (Nicolás Domingo, 89th)
Sebastián Abreu (Augusto Fernández, 63rd)

With River a man down early in the first half against Colón in Santa Fe, and Estudiantes leading 1-0 against Huracan, things were not looking good for los millonarios this afternoon. But a heroic performance in the second half capped off a tense and dramatic turnaround of events, with River winning 2-1, and coupled with Huracan pulling even against Estudiantes, means that we are now in sole possession of first place, clear by 2 points, with 2 matches left to play and destiny clearly in our hands.

It certainly didn’t look that way in the first half, with both teams playing poorly, and too many fouls being called against River. With Leo Ponzio sent off in the 18th minute after receiving his second yellow (dissent?), it was clear that Diego Simeone simply wanted to get out of the first 45 unscathed and regroup during halftime.

So as is the custom this season, River, who survived the first half with the scoreline 0-0, came out completely re-energized in the second. Alexis Sánchez, quiet in recent weeks, replaced an average Diego Buonanotte, gave River another dimension in attack, and the squad overall showed a new spirit. But it was, who else, Ariel Ortega who expertly setup the unlikely Cristian Villagra whose golazo put River ahead in the 56th minute. Sánchez looked to put the game away in the 75th minute after slamming the ball into the back of the net, but when Colón pulled one back 3 minutes later (should not have counted as there was an uncalled offside prior to the corner that led to it), it was game on.

The final 10 minutes plus 4 minutes added time were some of the most excruciating yet, with River clearly gassed and desperately playing to hold on to the lead, and Colón throwing everything they had at River’s defense. And who came to rescue in those final agonizing minutes? Only Juan Pablo Carrizo and Oscar Ahumada, two players vilified the past month, yet both of whom had key saves in the final minutes to deny Colón the draw. The whistle finally blew, the River fans rejoiced as one, the squad hugged each other in celebration, and with the news of Estudiantes dropping two points in La Paternal, the reality set in: River are 2 victories away from the Clausura.

What a dramatic and emotional game. Not the prettiest football, that we’ve known all season long. But la banda left it all on the pitch in Santa Fe, knowing what was needed and not packing it in despite being a man down, the squad banded together and did what was necessary.

Just think about it: if los millonarios win their next game against Olimpo, and should Estudiantes lose, River would win their 33rd league title at the Monumental. Could this really be happening? Believe it because it is. We’ve clawed our way to this point, and now 2 games stand between us and victory.

Cuanto Daria Por Gritar River CAMPEON!!!

River Plate:
Juan Pablo Carrizo
Danilo Gerlo, Leonardo Ponzio, Gustavo Cabral
Paulo Ferrari, Oscar Ahumada, Matías Abelairas, Cristian Villagra
Ariel Ortega (Andrés L. Ríos, 74th), Diego Buonanotte (Alexis Sánchez, 53rd)
Sebastián Abreu (Augusto Fernández, 67th)

Despite the fallout from the Copa Libertadores exit this season, River are within reach to grabbing their record 33rd League title, and slowly the Monumental faithful are coming back around to unanimously support the squad.

Early reports show Diego Simeone fielding this lineup:

Juan Pablo Carrizo
Danilo Gerlo, Leonardo Ponzio, Gustavo Cabral
Paulo Ferrari, Oscar Ahumada, Matías Abelairas, Cristian Villagra
Ariel Ortega, Diego Buonanotte
Sebastián Abreu

While everyone will be ecstatic to see Ortega back in the starting XI, most eyes will be on Ahumada, Carrizo, and Abreu, three players who have been criticized heavily in recent weeks, but who can reclaim the love of a demanding River fanbase by leaving it all out on the pitch the next 3 games. And like them or not, River will need all 3 if they want to be crowned champions.

The game will be broadcast live on FSE and FSC at 2PM ET.

Many thanks to Martin Yona (first row, 3rd from right), President of the River Plate Israel Filial, who recently forwarded these videos and photos of the group’s previous reunion, celebrating not only the 107th anniversary of the club’s founding, but also the birthday of Daniel Passarella, whose name the group uses as part of its official title.

On May 24th, the filial organized the Caravana Tierra Santa Monumental; cars decorated with River flags and balloons made their way to the Parque Jabotinsky in the city of Binyamina, where they were met by 40 filial members for an asado, and to sing Happy Birthday to Passarella in Spanish and Hebrew. El Kaiser himself sent this video below, thanking the filial and calling them, “hinchas de River de corazón.”

Also below is a picture of the filial’s official flag, which was present at the Monumental in March during the 0-0 draw against Racing, at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.

For more information on the filial, please read my previous post on the groups origins, visit their official website, or join the Facebook group.