Tiros Libres: Back Offsides

By: Christian | July 6th, 2008

So it seems that it is now my turn to write the infamous Offside “apology for my recent lack of posts,” post. But I promise I had a good excuse. Finally settled into my new digs in San Diego, and with that pup competition of the Euros finally behind us, I can now settle on what’s most important. Namely, River Plate’s upcoming 2008/09 season, in which los millonarios will seek to win their 34th league title, and if all goes well, book a date in the final of the Copa Sudamericana. With the silly season well underway, here’s my take on some of the biggest stories to emerge from the Monumental over the past few weeks:

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.