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:

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

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

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:

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.

The missed goal stunned the home crowd, but Gallardo would give them reason to cheer five minutes later when he converted a beautiful free kick to give River a deserved lead. It was nearly identical to the goal he scored during the previous Superclásico during this year’s Clausura at the Bombonera, right down to the side of the field and with Abbondanzieri in net. Matías Abelairas had a chance to make it 2-0 before the half, but his shot at the near post was blocked by the keeper.

The second half would see River revert to their usual ways, falling further and further back and allowing Boca too much space and possession. Left back Cristian Villagra didn’t help matters when in the 47th minute he earned his second yellow after a late challenge and was sent off, leaving River a man down.

Boca went right to work trying to find their equalizer. Osvaldo Gaitán terrorized River on the right hand side, and on several runs he slipped through so many River defenders it was a surprise he didn’t score. Boca finally leveled the match in the 18th minute with a goal from Palermo, assisted by Juan Román Riquelme. You’ll recall in my preview of Boca last week I stated that River would need to keep these two in check if they were to win. I’m guessing Leo Astrada doesn’t read my blog.

Boca also went down a man after Julio Cáceres was issued a straight red card after “hitting” Ortega in the face, by which I mean he slapped him in the chest and Ortega fell to the ground writhing in mock pain. Even with 10 on 10, Boca were simply the stronger team throughout the second half, with River spending most of the time in their own half of the field. But it was during one of their few chances in the second half that River botched what should have been the game winner. Abelairas found himself in front of an empty goal with the ball thanks to a superb pass from Buonanotte, but his shot deflected off the far post! It should have sent the crowd into a frenzy and put Boca down for good, but it was not to be. The game ended without much incident after that, with River Plate players and fans wondering what if.

Let me be clear: River should have won this game. Whether it was the penalty miss or the ball hitting the post in the second half, River had the chances to win, but in the end they could not finish off Boca. Despite that, I will say that the River that took the field yesterday was miles above the one we’ve seen this year, and there were several individual performances that stood out.

Daniel Vega proved he should be our number one keeper. He had at least two critical saves that kept us in the game. He lacks the physical presence of a Juan Pablo Carrizo but he makes up for it with his speed and quickness. I worried about how our age might be a liability, but I was proven wrong by Matías Almeyda. He played like a man reborn and was an anchor in the middle of the pitch. As I expected, Marcello Gallardo did indeed have a hand in the game with his sensational goal.

Abelairas’s two misses aside, el Pitu did have one hell of a match. I honestly did not expect him to start again after seeing him earlier in the season, but he made a case for returning to the starting lineup. Diego Buonanotte still has some work to do, but I was impressed with his effort. It was his foul that setup Gallardo’s goal, and he was active in nearly every goal-scoring opportunity we had.

We continue to have our issues. I hate to say it, but it was evident to anyone watching that Ortega is on his last legs. Yes, he flubbed the penalty, but he didn’t seem to rebound from it, and he was ineffective as the game wore on. He gave the ball away far too easily and when he was substituted in the second half, he looked exhausted. It seemed like before Ortega could give River 60 strong minutes of football; now, I’m not sure he can give 45. Cristian Villagra is a kid who I’ve seen improve greatly over the years, but he was a moron yesterday with two dumb fouls that led to his ejection.

The team as a whole fell apart in the second half where they needlessly let Boca take control of the game who until then had not shown much. The lack of depth in the squad was also apparent as our late subs Maximiliano Coronel, Cristian Fabbiani, and Mauro Diaz provided absolutely nothing. As it stands now, there is no one on River’s bench that can come in and change the course of a game.

Despite the result and the missed chances, there was a lot of good to take away from the game, and I believe if River had applied their performance on Sunday to games earlier in the season, we would not be in the position we are in now. They clearly showed up for Boca and the Superclásico, however to win titles you need to work as hard in week 1 as you do in week 10. Leo Astrada got a glimpse of what his team can accomplish. It is up to him now to make sure we see more of it in the next nine weeks.

2009 Apertura Fixture 10
River Plate 1 – 1 Boca Juniors

Scoring Summary:
Marcelo Gallardo (RP), 29th
Martín Palermo (BJ), 63rd

River Plate:
Daniel Vega
Paulo Ferrari, Gustavo Cabral, Nicolás Sánchez, Cristian Villagra
Nicolás Domingo, Matías Almeyda, Matías Abelairas
Marcelo Gallardo
Ariel Ortega, Diego Buonanotte

Substitutions:
Maximiliano Coronel for Gallardo, 59th
Cristian Fabbiani for Ortega, 77th
Mauro Díaz for Buonanotte, 86th

Highlights:

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.

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.

Seriously, our defense will have to be perfect if we are to contain Martín Palermo and Juan Román Riquelme, two players in Boca’s strong attack. I have enough faith in our keeper Daniel Vega, but it’s the defenders in front of him who worry me. Gustavo Cabral and Nico Sánchez, the likely center back pairing, will need to be sharp throughout the game, and the holding midfielders (Diego Barrado? Matías Almeyda?) must be able to clear any potential threat and push the ball forward.

Who they plan on getting the ball to is another issue entirely. Andrés Ríos and Daniel Villalba are unproven, and Diego Buonanotte when used as a forward is just not convincing in that role. Cristian Fabbiani? Unfortunately it looks like el Ogro will be making an appearance; let’s pray he feels like showing up.

As usual, it will be our veterans Ariel Ortega and Marcelo Gallardo who will try to lead the squad to victory. Both are coming off injuries and it’s unsure how long they will feature in the game. Regardless of how much playing time they get though, both always show up for the Superclásico, and if River should find a way to win, you can be sure that Ortega and Gallardo will have had a part in it.

I honestly have no clue how Sunday’s match will end. River have been so bad this year I can’t see them beating a lower table “B” side, let alone Boca. To win they will have to summon up a strength and consistency that has been missing all season long, and Leo Astrada, who has yet to win since coming aboard as manager, must instill confidence in his side. Make no mistake however -Boca are not invincible. They can be had and they can be beaten, and River have the players necessary to do it. All they need is the heart.

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:

Only a few weeks ago, the biggest story out of Argentina was the poor performances of the nation’s two biggest club’s. Both had been eliminated in the first stage of the Copa Sudamericana by “smaller” Argentine clubs, are both were struggling in the league. Since then Boca have turned their season almost completely around, winning their last three games and pulling within 5 points of San Lorenzo in first place. What should be of concern to River Plate however is one Martín Palermo.

At 35, el Loco has been on an absolute tear during the month of October both for club and country. Just consider: On Wednesday, September 30th, he scored both goals in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Ghana in an international friendly. The following Sunday, he scored a header from 35 meters in Boca’s 3-2 win over Vélez Sarsfield. One week later he scored possibly the most important goal in Argentina’s qualifying campaign in stoppage time against Peru, ensuring that el albiceleste would still have a chance to make it to South Africa 2010, a spot they secured the following week.

Palermo is in such good form that not even a fractured septum will prevent him from playing this Sunday. He will most likely wear a face mask.

Of course, one must remember that anything goes for a Superclásico. I remember in 2006 when River were in the midst of a very poor season but still defeated Boca 3-1 in the Apertura, so perhaps the same will apply for this year’s edition. But River must take caution and respect their opponent if they are to have any chance at victory.

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.

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.