Clausura 2009: River Plate 3 – 1 Arsenal de Sarandí

By: Christian | March 10th, 2009

River Plate won a rousing victory Sunday afternoon at the Monumental, coming back from a goal down to defeat Arsenal de Sarandí 3-1 in the league. It was a wild and emotional game that saw two River players sent off, and produced inspired performances by Radamel Falcao, Marcelo Gallardo, and Danilo Gerlo.

A full strength squad, which included Cristian Fabbiani in his first start, came out prepared to put their two previous losses in the league and the Copa behind them. But yet again, another nonexistent penalty would put River behind 1-0. Nicolás Sánchez was shown a red card for a foul in the penalty area, but replays showed that not only was there no contact, but the Arsenal player clearly dived. River were down a goal and a defender, and an uphill battle in the second half awaited.

They proved more than up for the challenge. River displayed a heart and resilience yet seen this season, and produced one of the most memorable performances in some time. Radamel Falcao had a tremendous half, scoring on a powerful header in the opening minutes. But it was his mere presence on the field that really shined. He went after every ball, and even tracked back to clear away crosses from set-pieces on the other half of the pitch. Best player on the pitch, hands down.

The goals that would give River the lead however would come from Marcelo Gallardo. The former captain had only seen action as a late substitute since his return, and with limited results on the field. But his goal that gave River the lead they would not surrender was sublime. Catching Cristian Campestrini off his line, el Muñeco gracefully chipped the ball over the Arsenal keeper’s head, and his wild and enthusiastic celebration in front of the Monumental terraces signaled his return to form. He second goal in the 77th minute sealed the win which leaves them tied for 4th in the leauge on 10 points.

There were other standouts as well. Mariano Barbosa had a fine day in net, and deserved the shutout that would have stood if not for the stupid penalty call. Cristian Villagra and Cristian Fabbiani had two instrumental runs to assist Falcao and Gallardo on their goals, respectively. And special mention must be made to Danilo Gerlo. Injured in the second half, Gerlo had no choice but to wobble on, with River having used all it’s substitutions and already down to 9 men. He limped in pain, but he somehow managed to hold on, remaining in defense, and earning cheers from the crowd behind him.

In all, it was a deserved win for a millonario team that fought hard, left it all on the pitch, and refused to give up, eve after going down a goal. This kind of drive and determination has been sorely lacking in recent games, so to see the team come together as it did on Sunday was a welcome change. If this is what River can be capable of, if this is what we hinchas can look forward to, then the best is yet to come. Next up, away to Vélez Sarsfield this Sunday.

NOTES: The absolute shocking refereeing most be noted. Aside from the b.s. penalty, another terrible call would come in the 74th minute when Rodrigo Archubi was issued a red card for slapping Arsenal’s Facundo Sava. While it was certainly a blatant hit, and Archubi stupidly did it right in front of the referee, it was hardly worth a red, and Sava was given a pass even though he struck first.

2009 Clausura Fixture 5
River Plate 3 – 1 Arsenal de Sarandí

Scoring Summary:
Luciano Leguizamón (ARS), 46th
Radamel Falcao (RP), 47th
Marcelo Gallardo (RP), 66th
Marcelo Gallardo (RP), 77th

River Plate:
Mariano Barbosa
Paulo Ferrari, Gustavo Cabral, Nicolás Sánchez, Cristian Villagra
Augusto Fernández, Oscar Ahumada, Matías Abelairas
Diego Buonanotte
Radamel Falcao García, Cristian Fabbiani

Substitutions:
Danilo Gerlo for Abelairas, 46th
Rodrigo Archubi for Villagra, 64th
Marcelo Gallardo for Buonanotte, 66th

Highlights