River Plate Youth Teams

Many thanks benos and RiverGaucho. I'm much obliged to you.

Do keep us updated on the youth divisions.

 

Gonzalo Olid Apaza? Definitely a favourite of mine. Attacking midfielder with great skills on the ball.
Pezzella is also very promising... elegant on the ball, he's tough on the opponent. I would say sometimes a bit too much. He's a bit hot-headed and takes some stupid red cards.
About Espindola, while i agree he didnt have the best u-17 WC, i have still high hopes with him. Sure, he isnt the tallest (~1.75-1.77) but Ayala wasnt that tall either. What he needs to fix is his concentration or should i say his lapses of concentration.

 

A. Ayala played in diffrent times.
B. Ayala jumped like a freak, I remember how he won aerial battles with players like Adriano and Drogba. Espindola isn't good in the air, it's something that you can't accept from Centre Back.

 

There is a news about that only because his name is Simeone...
Ahh "journalism"...

 

I saw that video a few days ago, sure he looks good, but he seems to have an advantage over the others from his physical presence. As he grows his advantage slowly disappears... Let's see how he develops the next years. It's going to be interesting to see.

Also, the 99' category, there is the son of the Leona's DT, Mateo Retegui.

 

The seventh and eighth divisions reached the finals yesterday beating Newell's Old Boys 2-1 and 2-0 respectively. The eighth is where Giovanni Simeone plays and he scored.

 

Well done boys. A shining future is not too far off.

 

8 River players were chosen to play for the Sub 20 in Peru next month: Germán Pezzella, Mauro Díaz, Manuel Lanzini, Roberto Pereyra, Ezequiel Cirigliano, Rodrigo Rey, Leandro González Pírez y Gabriel Funes Mori

Congrats to the pibes, i hope they won't be tired/get injured before the season starts, because some of them are going to have a big part to play, especially Pereyra, Lanzini, and Cirigliano

 

Ah yeah wow we're already in December.

 

Great to see us dominating the seleccion as in the past.One thing though this suggests to me Rogelio Funes Mori to Benfica is a done deal

 

Rogelio Funes Mori is Gabriel Funes Mori. It is strange his brother Ramiro was not included, neither was Lamela, if anything I'd be worried about his exclusion meaning he was sold Although, more likely, its that hes such an important part of the first team now they asked for him not to be taken, as they'd already taken so many River players

 

Gracias you are right that I think is good news but I forgot about Lamela.In January we will be in preseason,I dont understand why he isnt called?

 

Good thing he hasnt been called.

BTW, the octava division (born in 1995) won their clasico against Boca 4-1. Cholito scored again!

Later this day, The septima (born in 1994) will confront the difficult Velez. This category is roughly the backbone of the sub-17, providing 6-7 players to the category.

 

MSI Tell us do you know much about Ocampo,Pugh and Rodriguez and I think a pibe Montero?

 

According to various reports on my Twitter account, the septima defeated Velez on penalties and were crowned champions.

 

Seems like Lucas Pugh equalized in the last minute ans we won 7-6 on penalties.Another two titles this year we really have amazing talent coming on.

 

Don't forget about Federico Andrada. I read a report that he broke Jose Sand's record of goals scored in the inferiors. Hopefully he doesn't turn out the way Sand did for us.

 

Ocampos and Pugh are strikers, both are very promising. Ocampos is the most skilled of the three (if you count Andrada). Pugh is definitely one of the penalty box. Great finisher.

By Rodriguez, I suppose you're talking of Juan Rodriguez? He's a tall CB (~1.90m), very good to win headers (offensive and defensive), not too bad with the ball at his feet. He's a bit slow though.

Finally Matias Montero is an allround midfielder. Played as doble cinco, once or diez. Very good at set pieces, tactically very good, another excellent project. Also, he has older brother playing at River, Juan Montero. I have good expectations with him too. Small-sized playmaker, he belongs to the "Lamela-Villalva-Cirigliano" generation (born in 1992).

Lucas Ocampos, Fede Andrada, Lucas Pugh, Matias Montero and Juan Rodriguez are all born in 1994. There are other promising talents in this category such as Leandro Martinez (playmaker) or Lucas Ojeda (offensive midfielder).

 

Funes Mori, Pezzella, Diaz, and Cirigliano are all starting today for the sub 20 against uruguay (on espn deportes and espn3.com for those of us in the USA). good luck to them, especially funes mori who needs to score to increase his profile and worth. i hope to god he gets a goal and doesn't get injured

Also sad news, Franco Iberra a 17 year old striker was training with the professionals in mar del plata and tore ligaments in his left knee. he will be out for a very long time best of luck to him in his recovery