It has been a fantastic start for Angel Cappa’s side, now undefeated in their first four games. The season is still far from over, but a win this weekend at home to Vélez, who now share second place with Arsenal on 9 points, would put los millonarios even further ahead.

Yet with things seemingly going so well, many doubts still remain.

For one, River have hardly been invincible this season. They only just took three points from Tigre after a late goal in stoppage time, won a slim victory over Huracan, and despite outplaying Independiente in week 3, they narrowly avoided turning a deserved win into a draw. Sunday’s game against the current champions Argentinos seemed to be a step back for the club, with Cappa himself calling the team’s first half performance “horrible.”

Second, there has been scant production out of our forwards. Rogelio Funes Mori has scored three of River’s five goals so far this season, with the other two coming from midfielder Facundo Affranchino and defender Paulo Ferrari. Diego Buonanotte has looked very poor, and one wonders if he should sit out the next few games. Leandro Caruso, Mauro Díaz, and Mariano Pavone have shown little. Ariel Ortega looks sharp, but there’s no guarantee that his body will carry him throughout the season, or that he will suffer yet another of his relapses.

Surprisingly, our defense, which has been such a liability in the past, has held strong, allowing only two goals, one of which was an own goal by Juan Pablo Carrizo. Only Banfield, Estudiantes, and Gimnasia (LP) have allowed fewer.

The next three fixtures will go a long way in telling us just what this River team is made of. Again, it will be Vélez at home this weekend, then away to Arsenal, then back home to face Newell’s Old Boys, always a tough opponent. Getting 6 or 7 points from those three matches would be wonderful; nine would be fantastic. Anything less won’t kill off our title chances, but, to use an old sports cliché, it would put our destiny out of our hands.

If River can improve on their form over the next three critical matches, then just maybe we can consider this side the real deal.

And of course I missed it all. Again. This time it wasn’t a lack of coverage on TV or internet, but rather being away for a long weekend in Vegas. I’m disappointed to miss another game, but nevertheless thrilled by the club’s success so far this season. Thrilled, and a little surprised.

I never would have gambled on River being at the top of the league and winning their first three games of the season. They are playing smart football, and earning wins in games that last season would have resulted in busts. It is still far too early to think about the title with 16 games to go, and the team remains the in bottom four of the relegation table, but odds are good that better days have arrived. You can bet on it.

Good night everyone! I’ll be here all week!

Goals:

On a Sunday when River Plate post an impressive 1-0 victory over Huracán, TyC Sports, which shows most Primera games here in the States along with Fox Sports en Español, decides instead to show some basketball game between Argentina and Spain. Even the internet failed to provide my fix, as most streaming links I found online were either of low quality or simply failed to play. As a result, my only impression of the game came thanks to the TyC highlight show, Paso a Paso.

What I missed was a fine effort by los millonarios, and superb performances from veterans Ariel Ortega and Matías Almeyda. River were sharp with their passes, strong in defense, and overall, a much better side that played against Tigre last week. Facundo Affranchino had the games only goal in the 11th minute. The only negative was the sending off of Ortega in the 71st minute for an elbow to an opponent’s face, though replays showed that the contact was incidental and far from malicious.

So I’m bummed I missed the match, but no complaints from me about the outcome. Two games, six points – I’ll take that just fine, thank you very much. Next week, a huge home clásico against Independiente.

NOTE: There was an unfortunate point in the game where the referee had to stop play after hearing racist singing coming from the River section. I’m utterly disgusted to hear these kind of songs still being sung at games, even more so knowing that it came from River fans. It’s unfortunate that no one, not the club, the players, the fans, or the press, has come out against this. It’s an embarrassment to the club, and a blight on the world game. It should never happen, not at River Plate, not anywhere.

For all the talk of Ángel Cappa bringing a more attacking style of play, River failed to generate much by way of offense. Indeed, I don’t think they even registered a shot on goal until the 45th minute. In fact, there was little difference overall from what we’ve seen in recent campaigns: once again, our best players were the goal keeper (Juan Pablo Carrizo, who had a fine outing in his return to the club), followed by Matias Almeyda, and some brief flashes from Ariel Ortega, whose cross to Funes Mori led to the game’s only goal.

But there was little overall from anyone else, and none of River’s new faces made much of a case for themselves. Tigre certainly did not come to play and were ultra-defensive in their tactics, but it was disconcerting to think that River could not come up with a response.

This is typically the point where I say that the season is still early and that River have 18 more games to improve, but the pessimist in me can’t help but feel frustrated that despite all the changes in the off-season, the squad continue to make the same mistakes. Thankfully the late goal gave us three vital points, but a draw, really the fairest result yesterday, would have forced us to ask some questions about the squad that have now been glossed over.

We move on though, and prepare for an away date with Huracán next Sunday.

Funes Mori Goal:

After what seemed like an interminable summer, football will indeed return to Argentina as the 2010 Apertura is set to kick off this weekend. River Plate begin the campaign hoping to reverse their fortunes from the last year’s disappointing season, and win their first title since the 2008 Clausura.

To that end, manager Ángel Cappa, with the help of President Daniel Passarella, has recruited 8 new reinforcements, among them Juan Pablo Carrizo, the former keeper returning to the club after an unsuccessful stint in Europe, and the highly rated, former Estudiantes striker, Mariano Pavone.

The club will certainly need all the help they can get to avoid the unthinkable but very real threat of relegation. After poor finishes in the previous Primera campaigns, los millonarios enter this season 17th in the relegation table, meaning if the season were to end with River in the same position, they would be forced to win a two-legged playoff with a second division team to ensure their survival in the top flight. A loss there would be catastrophic for Argentina’s biggest club and its millions of fan’s worldwide.

I’ll have more on the new reinforcements tomorrow. In the meantime, check out photos below of the new River Plate home jersey that debuted this week. My thoughts? I’ll accept the fact that this is essentially another ploy by Adidas to convince fans to hand over their money for what is essentially the same product, but what I don’t understand is the moving of the club crest from its traditional spot on the red band to the middle of the shirt.

It is not the first time that the crest has been somewhere other than over the “heart” of the jersey, as in the old Sanyo or FateO kits, but in those shirts the crest was on the right side of the chest, not in the middle, which seemed like a better location. Even stranger, if you look closely at the shirt where the red stripe is, you can see an inlay of the CARP logo, meaning there are two River crests side-by-side to one another, an odd design choice.

Of course, if by December Ariel Ortega is lifting up the Apertura trophy wearing that same shirt, you will hear no complaints from me.

Diego Buonanotte

Photo courtesy La Página Millonaria

With the season mercifully drawing to a close, it’s difficult to find many positives to take away from this season. Things seem to have improved with the arrival of Ángel Cappa, but there was the same feeling from River fans last year when Leo Astrada took over as manager, and we all know how that worked out.

Still, two recent developments regarding two of the club’s brightest stars, one an emerging talent, the other a beloved legend, have given even the most disheartened River fan cause to smile.

Last Friday’s 2-1 win over Vélez Sársfield was a spirited victory, featuring one of the better, attacking performances from the squad this year. But it was the winning goal by Diego Buonanotte that most will remember. Less than a year after the deadly car accident that claimed three lives and jeopardized the player’s career, Buonanotte has made a remarkable recovery from his injuries, and has featured in the last two River games. His goal was so expertly taken that one could have mistakenly believed that el Enano hadn’t been in rehab the last five months. The sight of Diego’s teammates surrounding him to celebrate his goal was one of the most emotional sights this year.

*

I’ve criticized Ariel Ortega many times on this site, less for his playing ability and more for his attitude off the pitch. El Burrito has missed several practice sessions due to his ongoing alcoholism, and has engaged in unnecessary battles with the club’s board of directors and managers. Yet despite all this, it’s hard to deny Ortega’s skill when he’s on, and the past few games he has played with a renewed intensity.

His reward has been a shock call-up to Diego Maradona’s squad for tonight’s Argentina vs. Haiti friendly in Buenos Aires. As this is not a FIFA-sanctioned date, only players from the Primera will make up the squad, but Ortega’s inclusion after so many years is truly a remarkable comeback for the player. The game may only be against Haiti and it’s highly unlikely that Maradona will keep Ortega in mind for the World Cup, but his appearance tonight will no doubt be a huge source of pride to the millions of River faithful who still adore him.

Highlights: River Plate 2 – 1 Vélez Sársfield

After last Sunday’s 2-1 win over Godoy Cruz, River fans are hopeful they are being proven wrong.

Cappa’s first game in charge could not have gone better. The victory ended a 5-game winless streak and more than 500 minutes without scoring a goal. River managed to come back from a goal down to a very good Godoy Cruz side, thanks to goals from Ariel Ortega and Paulo Ferrari, the latter who remains our leading scorer this season. And most importantly, the game saw the return of Diego Buonanotte after that terrible car accident last winter that took the lives of three of his friends. He came on as a second half substitute.

It was one of the best performances from River in some time, but of course it is far too soon to call the hiring of Cappa a complete success. The arrival of a new coach to a team mid-season almost always sees an improvement from the squad, as players seek to impress their new manager. River’s remaining fixtures against Estudiantes, Vélez, Racing, and Tigre will not be easy, so it remains to be seen if the squad can continue their form from Sunday, and if Cappa can keep his players focused on their quest to avoid possible relegation next season.

Still, fans are warming to Ángel Cappa and they are ready to stand behind him.

It did not take long for that optimism to sour.

Last night’s 0-0 draw with soon-to-be relegated Atlético Tucumán was the last straw for River President Daniel Passarella. Astrada’s departure was announced early this morning, with plans to replace him already underway.

To say Astrada’s second tenure at River did not live up to expectations would be a massive understatement. In 26 games since taking over last season, River have won 7, drawn 8, and lost 11. Last night’s result was River’s first point following a four game winless streak, including the 2-0 loss in the Superclásico. Since their last win at home to Huracán, the club has gone 465 minutes without scoring a goal, the longest drought in the River history. The league title has been out of reach for weeks, and there is no sign that the club will be participating in any international competitions in the near future.

Astrada has never found the same touch as a manager as he had during his playing career. He had unsuccessful stints with Roasario Central, Colón de Santa Fe, and Estudiantes, and the 2004 Clausura title with River remains his lone accomplishment. It is no surprise then that Astrada failed to live up to expectations the second time around, though the blame can hardly be all his.

The current squad is a mix of aging veterans, also-rans, and academy players brought up too quickly to compete at the Primera level. Astrada’s off-season signings may have been duds (Juan Manuel Díaz and Rodrigo Rojas), but it became clear early on that any manager would have had trouble working with this batch of players, as Astrada’s weekly tinkering with the lineup suggested.

It now appears that Angel Cappa, former Huracán manager, will be announced this week as Astrada’s successor. Cappa is well regarded for taking a newly-promoted Huracán and transforming them into an attractive team that very nearly won a title two seasons ago, however, if he is unable to achieve more with River than Leo Astrada, then expect more matches with Atlético Tucumán in the future, only this time in the second-tier of Argentine football.

Instead, the only team River punished was themselves.

After the opening minutes saw both sides play very cautiously, Boca slowly began to gain confidence and take advantage of a slow and uninspired River. Oscar Ahumada, practically a fan favorite at the Bombonera after he controversially criticized River fans in 2008 for their “appalling silence” following the club’s elimination in the Copa Libertadores and suggesting that Boca fans would have kept cheering, endeared himself more to the xeneize faithful when his foul on Matías Giménez set up a free kick that led to Boca’s first goal. Juan Román Riquelme stepped up to take the free kick, but rather than take a direct shot on goal, which the defense seemed to be expecting, he instead shot low and found Gary Medel who slipped it past Daniel Vega. The River keeper has been our best player this season, but he completely blew it on the goal (replays did show a slight offside, which was not called). If you watch the video below, you can see how Vega is just standing there waiting for the ball to roll to him, which gave Medel just enough time to score.

River Plate were given a golden opportunity when Rogelio Funes Mori found himself onside and in a one-on-one with the Boca keeper, but his inexperience at this level showed when he botched his shot and effectively passed the ball. It would have changed the course of the game completely and allowed River room to breathe, but it was only one of a series of mistakes on the day. He would have another clear opportunity in the 84th minute that he also missed.

It was clear by the start of the second half that River had given up on the match, and it showed when they allowed Boca all the space in the world to score their second goal in the 48th minute. River had no response, and none of Leo Astrada’s substitutes could make any impact on the game. (To add insult to injury, the aforementioned Ahumada was applauded by Boca fans as he was taken off). The only thing River did get up for was a brawl between Medel and Marcelo Gallardo which very nearly came to blows. Medel later claimed that Gallardo had bitten him on his finger, a dubious claim since Medel put his hand on Gallardo’s mouth at one point to push him away.

***

Where to begin deconstructing yesterday’s loss? Our two veterans, Gallardo and Matías Almeyda, were 100 times better than the rest of the squad, but as the saying goes, 100 times zero is still… Both players have given their all to the club, but at 34 and 36 respectively, it is time for them to move on. They simply cannot be expected to do everything for the team, or to compensate when those around them fail to produce. Boca may have found success with the return of Riquelme, and Estudiantes with Juan Sebastián Verón, but those teams had a pool of quality players around them, something River clearly lacks.

Can you believe that one of the biggest questions for River fans leading up to the game was whether Ariel Ortega would play or not? This is the same Ortega who had yet another relapse this season, and who is again arguing with the club about a lack of playing time. River can no longer rely on its aging stars of yesteryear to carry them through a season, and that apples to players and coaches alike. There have been repeated calls to have Ramón Díaz to come back and coach the squad. He was a great coach, but he was only great because he had talented players to work with.

As for our younger talent that is supposed to represent the future of our club, they fared no better. The players coming up from our youth academy are being pushed into the first team before they have a chance to fully develop. Take Funes Mori. Yes, he has the makings of becoming a great striker, and he does display flashes of brilliance from time to time, but his miss yesterday in the first half showed the danger of bringing up a player too soon. A few more years in the reserves, with the occasional appearances with the first team, would do him and youngsters like Daniel Villalva and Gustavo Canales a world of good. Certainly more experience would have helped Funes Mori yesterday. Unfortunately it’s the lack of options within the squad and the economic reality that is forcing the coaches to bring up young players quickly. Any sign of talent con potentially lead to big money deals form European clubs, and River is in such a dire state with its finances that it needs those big contracts to bring in much needed cash.

There can be no surprises then when we see such a horrid display from River, but it still feels like a kick to the stomach to see players wearing the shirt show no emotion when going down a goal. In they could only have mustered the strength they would have discovered that Boca were no powerhouse team, that the mysticism surrounding the Bombonera or La Doce was really just over-hyped bullshit, and that even with Diego Maradona watching there was no reason why they couldn’t have won. Instead, they simply shut down.

Where can River Plate go from here? What can they learn? That remains unknown, but fans yesterday were reminded yet again they the River they know and love is moving further and further away from them, and has been replaced with a ragtag mix of aging players and inexperienced youngsters. And with relegation still a serious threat, there is no sign that the grey clouds hanging over the Monumental will clear soon.

Goals: