Final Table Position: 14th
Total Points: 23
Win – Loss – Draw Record: 6 – 5 – 8

The 2007 Apertura came to a close this past Saturday with a dismal loss away, but given the roller coaster ride that has defined River Plate’s season, it seemed an almost fitting end.

It was a season of delayed starts, of murder and fears of retribution, of the joy at beating our biggest rival, of our shocking away form that cost us the title, of dreams of an international title cruelly taken away on penalties, and at last, utter disappointment, concluding with the resignation of one of our biggest heroes. It was also a season where unexpected teams like Lanús, Tigre, and Arsenal made headlines, and where traditional powerhouses like Independiente and Boca showed promise early on only to fade at the stretch. If you were a River fan, this certainly has to go down as one of the most bizarre seasons in recent memory. Here’s a look back at the madness:

* Before a ball was even kicked, River were already in trouble. Following a questionable decision to play in the Peace Cup staged in Korea, former coach Daniel Passarella successfully petitioned the football association to delay the start of River’s season. And if that didn’t set the team back, the news of the murder of Gonzalo Acro meant another match was delayed amid fears of crowd violence. The effects were clearly noticeable on the pitch, as River came bumbling out of the gate with draws to San Lorenzo and Gimnasia(J), and an embarrassing loss to newly promoted San Martín (SJ).

* The Big 4? As I noted in a previous post, River lost to all of the 4 teams promoted from the second division B Nacional, and being outscored 11-2 in the process. Even if you don’t include the 4-1 loss to Tigre, who had a phenomenal season and came within inches to stealing the title from eventual winners Lanús, those other games amount to 9 points lost, which would have been enough to move us into 3rd in the table alongside Banfield.

* In such a crazy season as this, at least there were some constants. As in, a shockingly appalling away form, good for only a 1-3-6 record when playing as the visiting side. But the worst stat? During those same 10 away matches, River tied a league worst record of 21 goals conceded, matching minnows Gimnasia (J). In fact, if you look at the entire 19 game season, River conceded 33 goals against, two more than they actually scored and tying only Rosario Central who finished at the bottom of the table.

* Of course the biggest story line this year has to be the resignation of Daniel Passarella. Since his arrival last year, River not only failed to win a single trophy but actually managed to get worse, and often times losing games in spectacular fashion. While El Kaiser certainly never received much support on this space, it should be noted that not all was his fault (an absent-minded board of directors didn’t help), and in the end, his legacy as one of River’s greatest players should not be tarnished. But make no mistake, Passarella long outstayed his welcome, and time will tell how the club will manage to rebuild itself from the ashes of his last managerial spell at the Monumental.

Awards

* Best Performance: It may obvious, but for me the game where I saw River display the most passion and technical acumen was in the Superclásico. Sure, Boca Juniors were a mess and absent most of the game, but how many times did we see River give away games at the last minute to weaker opposition? That afternoon, Falcao looked sharp, Ortega danced circles around the Boca defenders, and Diego Buonanotte looked like he was ready to annouce his arrival. A close second? The 5-0 win over Vélez. I should also mention the stunning comeback victory over Botafogo, but that was a River side desperately trying to catch up to its mistakes during the first half.

* Worst: Take your pick. For my money, the 4-1 drubbing away to Tigre was simply a case of men versus boys. A close second would be the 0-0 semi-final match away to eventual Sudamericana winners Arsenal, in what was simply one of the worst games of football I have ever seen.

* Most embarrassing: This is kind of a wild card, but drawing 3-3 at home? To Rosario Central? Only after getting help from a completely inept ref were River able to save face. A 4-1 loss next week to Argentinos essentially put the nail in the coffin.

* Best player: It’s always hard to try and single out one player in a losing season who rose above the rest, but I think clearly it has to be Ariel Ortega. Week in and week out he was the best player on the pitch and one of the few who played for the shirt. His touch and skill with the ball is still amazing to watch even after all these years, and if you take into account his struggle with alcoholism, it makes his performance this year all the more incredible. Runners up: Fernando Belluschi or Radamel Falcao.

* Worst player: If I never see Marco Rubén or Cristian Villagra again it might not be enough to erase their dismal performances this year, but guy who took the cake for me was Federico Lussenhoff, who simply has no business wearing a River shirt.

* Biggest disappointment: Split between Sixto Peralta and Roly Zárate. One goal between them says it all. Zárate apparently got the message, as he is now with Barcelona de Guayaquil.

* While nothing officially has been confirmed yet, River’s board of directors met today with Diego Simeone, and a deal could be announced as early as Wednesday.

* Finally, in today’s Diario Olé, former hero Hernan Crespo was quoted as saying that he would love to return to River. The star striker, currently under contract at Inter Milan until 2009, cemented his legacy when scoring both goals during the 1996 Copa Libertadores final against America de Cali, and has since then moved on to great success in Europe and with the Argentina national team. But age seems to be catching up, and a move to finish his career at the Monumental would make sense, not to mention give River a much needed boost in confidence.

As for River, they layed a stinker away to Olimpo in a 4-0 drubbing. I was out of town and didn’t catch the game, and perhaps that was for the best. River have gone this year from inconsistent to heartbreaking to embarrassing. One more match at home to Banfield and the misery will thankfully end. You can suffer through the lowlights below.

*Interesting stat to consider – this season, River have a 1-3-0 record against the other big clubs, with draws to San Lorenzo, Racing, Independiente, and the win of course to Boca. Their record against the 4 promoted teams this season, Tigre, Huracán, San Martín, and Olimpo? All losses, including two where River allowed 4 goals. Unbelievable.

The new year cannot come soon enough. After suffering some of their worst setbacks of the season recently with elimination from the Copa Sudamericana and the resignation of Daniel Passarella, piled on with the news that Ramón Díaz will NOT be joining the club as head coach next year, River only added to the suffering with a dismal 2-0 loss at home this past Saturday to Colón de Santa Fe.

It was a match that had little riding on it with la banda already out of contention for the league, and rightfully none of the players showed anything apart from Juan Pablo Carrizo, who saved River from a much worse embarassment with some strong saves in the first half. Oscar Ahumada unfortunately was on the opposite end, getting a straight red card in the second half on a horrible challenge, his third on the year.

With only two games left in the season, River are close to putting the misery to an end.

Notes: The official attendance at the Monumental this Saturday was only 15,000… Not counting the loss on penalties to Arsenal in the Copa, this was River’s first defeat at home this season, and was Colón’s first ever win at the Monumental…The supposedly big fixture of the weekend was the Avellaneda derby detween Independiente and Racing Club, but both teams showed us how dull they really are in 0-0 snooze fest…Lanús may have lost a golden opportunity towards their first title yesterday by drawing 0-0 hours after Boca lost to Arsenal 2-1, but el granate still control their own destiny with two matches left. However, they will face Boca at the Bombonera this weekend.

* Rumors are running rampant in Argentina that River is getting closer to signing Ramón Díaz from rival club San Lorenzo to take over as head coach. San Lorenzo, winners of the 07 Clausura title earlier this season under Diaz, apparently cannot match the offer that River have on the table. It has been no secret that the club directors, not to mention the majority of the River faithful, have Diaz has their number one pick to replace Daniel Passarella; during his previous stint as head coach between 1995-2003, El Pelado led la banda to 5 local titles, 1 Supercopa, and a Copa Libertadores in 1996. Stay tuned.

* With the yawn-inducing international break mercifully behind us, we can get back to the business of not winning the league. Interim coach Jorge Gordillo will take over for the final 3 games of the season, in which an already eliminated River will attempt to gain the most possible points to finish high in the table. First up will be Colón de Santa Fe, this Saturday at 4:15 ET on TYC Sports USA. Colón oddly enough, are coached by Leonardo Astrada, who managed River after Ramón Díaz was let go in 2003.

* While both Lanús, Boca Juniors, and Tigre will be fighting it out for the title, this weekend’s must see fixture is no doubt the Avellaneda clásico between Racing Club and Independiente. As a River fan I couldn’t care less who wins (although it must be said that I despise los rojos much more than Racing), but this is one of the most bitter rivalries you will see this side of a River-Boca derby. Watch it live Saturday on TYC at 2PM ET.

* Speaking of the international break, Argentina were stunned by Colombia in World Cup qualifiers, losing 2-1 in Bogota Tuesday night. Lionel Messi scored in the first half, but el albiceleste were done in after a straight red was shown to Carlos Tevez. Argentina stll lead the group with 9 points.

* THIS JUST IN: ENGLAND ARE OUT OF EURO 2008. Needing only a point at home against Croatia, England instead went down in a stunning 2-3 loss, which combined with Russia’s win against Andorra means they’ll be watching from home next year. Steve McClaren should be flown out of London tonight.

* And speaking of helicopters, our favorite usless coach this side of the Atlantic Ricardo LaVolpe resigned as head coach of Vélez Sársfield a few weeks ago after leading the club to nowhere.

Really, a day without LaValope is just a day without sunshine; where else are you guaranteed 3 points? Ricardo, if you’re listening, you may want to look into getting a standard resignation form, leaving the boxes next to the club name and signature blank. Just want to make things easier for you the next time you get sacked for badly managing a club, assuming there’s a womens under-15 reserve side somewhere that needs your services.

So to LaVolpe and all turkeys everywhere, have a Happy Thanksgiving.

As was expected, Daniel Passarella announced earlier today his resignation as head coach.

In a brief statement read to the press, the much maligned River legend said that he would make good on his promise given in May that should the team end the year without a championship he would step down, and after last night’s heartbreaking elimination from the Copa Sudamericana, combined with the team out of contention for the league, today’s announcement was simply a formality.

Passarella was somber as he spoke, but remained noticeably defiant throughout. He implied that he was stepping down because he had given his word, not citing his own performance as manager as a cause. In addressing the fans he spoke only of the “true” River supporters, no doubt a swipe at the hundreds who protested inside the stadium multiple times this year calling for his removal. Though he did not specifically mention last night’s loss, he did say that the dressing room afterwards was one of the “saddest I have seen in my career,” noting that many players were in tears. Finally, he thanked the team for their hard work, and called Ariel Ortega’s recovery from alcoholism “more important than any sporting conquest.”

Since taking over for Reinaldo “Mostazo” Merlo at the beginning of last year, Passarella, Argentina’s captain during their 1978 World Cup win, was unable to bring a title to River, and his tactics were often criticized loudly by the fans and the media. His biggest triumphs, if one could call them that, were two massive wins at home against rivals Boca Juniors, but in the end, it was just not enough for one of Argentina’s biggest clubs. River meanwhile still have 3 games left in the league, though they are off this weekend for the international break, so an interim coach will be put in charge in the meantime. While there is no clear candidate for the position, one name that has been mentioned in recent weeks is Diego Simeone, currently at Estudiantes de La Plata, who led that squad to a league championship last season.

Daniel Passarella threw out the white flag this past weekend, fielding a team of youngsters, some making their debut in a River kit, in a 2-1 loss to Huracán this past Saturday night.

With the league out of reach, and the Sudamericana 2nd leg this Wednesday, el Kaiser decided to give some young faces the opportunity to make a mark with the club. La Banda was able to get ahead with a strike from Sixto Peralta in the 14th minute, but el Globo pulled out the win with 2 second half goals, proving that regardless of the age of the players, River won’t be getting any clean sheets with Lussenhoff in defense.

Unfortunately I missed the game, but I did catch the highlights on Paso a Paso last night (you can read a recap here). To be fair, there was a clear penalty that was not called; it should have also resulted in an expulsion for Huracán, but the ref only gave a free kick and a yellow.

Peralta Goal

River starting lineup: (debuts in bold)
Ojeda
Valencia Musaccio Lussenhoff Martínez
Affranchino Díaz Abelairas Peralta
Lizio Ríos

The word “disappointing” has been used to describe many performances this season, and the same was true this past Sunday as los millonarios could not earn the 3 points desperately needed to stay alive in the league, drawing 1-1 to rivals Independiente at home.

Los rojos got on board first in the 18th minute from Carlos Matheu off a set piece, but River were able to find the equalizer off a strong Fernando Belluschi header in the 45th. Both teams came out in the second half with renewed vigor, but surprisingly neither side could find the go ahead goal. Particularly stunning was River’s lack of offensive attack, with Diego Buonanotte barley making any sort of mark on the day, and neither Matias Abelairas nor Radamel Falcao doing much better. If there was some good news for River it was keeper Juan Pablo Carrizo, who made at least 2 game winning saves, and Cristian Nasuti, who looked solid in defense replacing the injured Nicolás Sánchez. That aside, the result was not enough to gain ground in the standings, and River now sit in 6th place with 23 points, 7 behind current leaders Lanús with 4 matches remaining.

So as we have seen so many times this year, River could not get the result when they needed it most, yet another in a series of missed opportunities that has left la banda on the outside looking in. With the league title all but out of reach, River will now throw everything they have into their Copa Sudamericana semifinal with Arsenal this week, in the hopes of coming away with one piece of silverware this year.

River Plate Lineup:

Carrizo
Ferrari Nasuti Tuzzio Ponzio
Belluschi Ahumada Abelairas
Ortega
Buonanotte Falcao

Independiente have had a stellar campaign, and only a few slipups have denied them the top spot this late in the season. River of course are currently 5 points from the lead, but a win at home where they have yet to lose this season could help them make a late push.

Expect a rousing match between two of Argentina’s biggest sides.

No, you’ve read it correctly, River Plate finally managed something they have not achieved since last season, a win away from home, defeating Gimnasia in La Plata 2-0 on goals by Diego Buonanotte and Radamel Falcao.

River may not have played the most attractive football, but they showed focus and concentration, something they have lacked at times this season, but even better they never looked in danger of falling apart, or allowing the home team many chances to equalize. I saw some great performances from Oscar Ahumada, Ariel Ortega, and especially from Buonanotte, who’s starting to look like the real deal, putting River on top in the 26th minute. There was some controversy at first with Daniel Passarella taking out el Burrito in the 61st minute for Mauro Rosales; Ortega was clearly upset by the move and though he had been playing well, he was starting to give up the ball a few too many times. But los millonarios did well without their playmaker on the field, and a goal from Falcao in the 81st minute sealed the victory. Overall, it was a must win for River, and the team looks in good shape and spirits are high.

Even better news, the win comes on a weekend that saw Boca draw at home to Estudiantes 1-1 and Independiente denied by San Lorenzo in a 2-1 loss at home, meaning that los diablos rojos are now 2nd with Lanús alone in the top spot with 27 points, leaving River close behind in 6th place with 22 points and 5 matches remaining. Our next league match will be a real test though, with Independiente at home in 2 weeks in a game that could decide the outcome of River’s season.

Highlights