River Plate Apertura 2007 results and game comments [R]

[riverplate]

August 19, 2007

San Lorenzo 1 - 1 River Plate

Goals
San Lorenzo: Néstor Silvera 23' (head)
River: Ariel Ortega 58' (pen.)

Starters
Juan Ojeda, Leonardo Ponzio, Nicolás Sánchez, Eduardo Tuzzio, Cristian Villagra, Fernando Belluschi, Oscar Ahumada, Augusto Fernández, Matias Abelairas, Ariel Ortega, Marco Rubén
Substitutions
Radamel Falcao for Abelairas, ST
René Lima for Ortega, 92'
Unused
Bernardo Leyenda, Cristian Nasuti, Emmanuel Martínez, Diego Buonanotte, Mauro Rosales
Yellow cards
Ponzio 2', Ortega 68', Ahumada 91'
Red card
Fernando Belluschi 91'

[accion]

we played much better in the 2nd half than the 1st. Falcao looked good and very active. I wanted to see Buonanotte, i'm sure we will soon enough.

[ElMuneco]

we played much better in the 2nd half than the 1st. Falcao looked good and very active. I wanted to see Buonanotte, i'm sure we will soon enough.


Probably cause we switched to a 4-3-1-2. The formation we've always used until Passarella arrived and switched things. Maybe he's finally realized that this is the formatin that best suits River and the players at his disposal.

[DiVo0oNeH]

Probably cause we switched to a 4-3-1-2. The formation we've always used until Passarella arrived and switched things. Maybe he's finally realized that this is the formatin that best suits River and the players at his disposal.


the way i see it? i think the best formation for ur players is a 442 and the midfield shaped as a diamond! this way belluschi, ortega, fernandez can all play

by the way i was impressed by villagra today!

[locoxriver]

looks like pezzota is payed by river now. arent you guys tired of the cheating. i know i am.:mad:

You are tired of cheating? I know, I am tired of you cheating as well. Not only was Pezzotta calling bullshit calls in favor of you guys throughout the whole game (I swear, CASLA's players fall by themselves everytime they get the ball!), but there actually was a foul when he called a penalty in favor of us:

oVsJjNpQyPs

How in the hell is that not a foul vs. Belluschi. It may have not seemed like it at first, but look at minute 0:50 (here it would say 2:40 minutes left on the bottom right). Any doubts?

[elciclon]

he didnt call the foul on belluschi if you look he says continue, and then calls the foul on tula where he holds the river player. which he doesnt. you could call the penalty on belluschi but even that is debatable.

[locoxriver]

he didnt call the foul on belluschi if you look he says continue, and then calls the foul on tula where he holds the river player. which he doesnt. you could call the penalty on belluschi but even that is debatable.

What's your point? There still is a foul in the same play. So basically what you are saying now is that he favored you guys by not calling a penalty that actually existed in favor of River? Well there you go, it's now balanced: he didn't call one for us that did exist, but did call one that didn't.

Either way, it was the same play, and the reason I think he might have not called the foul is because Villagra got the ball (ley de ventaja) and once he lost it, he went back and called the foul.

Cuervo amargo no existis.

[elciclon]

What's your point? There still is a foul in the same play. So basically what you are saying now is that he favored you guys by not calling a penalty that actually existed in favor of River? Well there you go, it's now balanced: he didn't call one for us that did exist, but did call one that didn't.

Either way, it was the same play, and the reason I think he might have not called the foul is because Villagra got the ball (ley de ventaja) and once he lost it, he went back and called the foul.

Cuervo amargo no existis.

whatever, everyone says it was a bad call except the river fans :rolleyes:... anyways whats next another hand ball against a small team that wont get called,, even my brother thats a gallina thinks its a joke. but good luck with passarella looks like you need it (or just afa).

[DCUtd]

he didnt call the foul on belluschi if you look he says continue, and then calls the foul on tula where he holds the river player. which he doesnt. you could call the penalty on belluschi but even that is debatable.

He says continue to see if River maintains an advantage and calls it back when it is clear they don't. While a PK is usually preferable to keeping advantage, there is no reason to call the foul on Belluschi if Villagra buries it.

After two refs get suspended for 30 and 90 days for blowing the Nueva Chicago games, I think you are going to see a lot more patience in calling the PK this torneo.

Como digo loco, es el ley de ventaja.

[elciclon]

Sergio Pezzota fue parado en la cuarta fecha

El juez de San Lorenzo-River, quien cobró un polémico penal para el Millonario que Ariel Ortega ejecutó al borde del reglamento, no dirigirá el próximo fin de semana.

[riverplate]

August 23, 2007

Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy 2 - 2 River Plate

Goals
River: Mauro Rosales 43'
Jujuy: César Carranza 45' (+1)
Jujuy: Fabio Pieters 61'
River: Rolando Zárate 72' (head)

Starters
Juan Ojeda, Leonardo Ponzio, Nicolás Sánchez, Eduardo Tuzzio, Paulo Ferrari, Augusto Fernández, Oscar Ahumada, Matias Abelairas, Ariel Ortega, Mauro Rosales, Marco Rubén
Substitutions
Rolando Zárate for Rubén, 68'
Sixto Peralta for Rosales, 82'
Unused
Daniel Vega, Cristian Nasuti, Cristian Villagra, René Lima, Andrés Ríos
Yellow cards
Ponzio 10', Zárate 86', Tuzzio 87', Abelairas 90', Ortega 92'

[riverplate]

August 26, 2007

San Martín de San Juan 1 - 0 River Plate

Goals
San Martín: Sebastián Brusco 77'

Starters
Juan Ojeda, Paulo Ferrari, Nicolás Sánchez, Eduardo Tuzzio, Cristian Villagra, Fernando Belluschi, Leonardo Ponzio, René Lima, Ariel Ortega, Mauro Rosales, Radamel Falcao
Substitutions
Augusto Fernández for Ortega, 61'
Alexis Sánchez for Rosales, 61'
Rolando Zárate for Villagra, 80'
Unused
Daniel Vega, Cristian Nasuti, Oscar Ahumada, Matias Abelairas
Yellow cards
None

[leoriver]

Que desastre que somos, ni a un equipo recien ascendido podemos ganarle.Una verguenza.I don't want to sound like a hater but f-u-c-king A it is beyond pathectic already and can't take Passarella's shyt any longer.

San Martin's first year in primera con un rejuntado de jugadores que fracasaron en otro tiempos y con jugadores que en mi vida jamas ha escuchado.

Tuzzio pone huevos todo lo que quieras y aveces es el jugador del partido pero ya van varia veces que no sale jugando bien desde atras y regala la pelota que nos perjudica igual que Villagra que esta jugando mejor pero no convence y ya llevan años en primera.

Los que safan son Ferrari, Ponzio (que fue el unico que busco desde afuera toda la tarde),y el pibe Alexis Sanches que demosrto cosas muy interesante y casi me olvido del aruero Ojeda que tiene buena condicciones.

La realidad estamos muy lejos de lo que tiene que ser River o lo que eramos hace un tiempo.

[BigSoccer Bot]

More... (http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/08/27/deportes/d-01301.htm)

[riverplate]

August 29, 2007

River Plate 4 - 2 Estudiantes La Plata

Goals
Estudiantes: Leandro Benítez, 2' (head)
River: Fernando Belluschi, 8'
River: Marco Rubén, 24' (head)
Estudiantes: Juan Manuel Salgueiro, 82'
River: Alexis Sánchez, 82'
River: Radamel Falcao, 92'

Starters
Juan Ojeda, Paulo Ferrari, Cristian Nasuti, Nicolás Sánchez, Cristian Villagra, Augusto Fernández, Oscar Ahumada, Fernando Belluschi, Ariel Ortega, Radamel Falcao, Marco Rubén
Substitutions
Federico Lussenhoff for Nasuti, ST
Alexis Sánchez for Ortega, 70'
René Lima for Rubén, 80'
Unused
Daniel Vega, Leonardo Ponzio, Mauro Rosales, Rolando Zárate
Yellow cards
Ahumada 30', Lussenhoff 49', Ferrari 78', Villagra 84', Ojeda 91', Falcao 92'
Red cards
River: Fernando Belluschi, 78'
Estudiantes: Marcos Angeleri, 90'

[DCUtd]

Que bueno gol del pibe chileno!

[locoxriver]

http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/08/29/um/fotos/riverabrazo.jpg

The smile on Fernando Belluschi's face says it all: River finally returned to the win, and in a convincing way while at it! With some great performances, "la Banda" managed to outplay Estudiantes and deservedly keep the three points for the first time in the tournament.

The match started with an unpleasant surprise that seemed to foreshadow a future similar to a disappointing past. Barely two minutes into the match, Leandro Benitez put the "Pincharatas" up with an exquisite header. River did not take long to react, though, and put the score back on term just four minutes later, thanks to a potential shot taken by Fernando Belluschi. But Belluschi's good game wasn't over just yet: at the 23rd minute of the first half, Fernando assisted Marco Ruben, who was finally able to score this season. With River showing a good display of football, the team had a few more opportunities to enlarge the goal difference between the two, but did not manage to put the ball past the net.

At the beginning of the second half, River was not showing the same positive display. Despite not playing well either, Estudiantes were able to attain more possession and had a few good chances. To make things worse, Fernando Belluschi was expelled at the 32nd minute due to going in with a dangerous sliding tackle. Not much long after, the Uruguayan Salgueiro tied the match. With less than ten minutes left, everything seemed to indicate that the game would finish in a 2-2 draw, leaving River with barely three points and far from the top of the rankings. Fortunately for us, that wasn't the end of the story. Alexis Sanchez, arguably our best incorporation this season, was able to enter the field and put on the superhero costume. With constant pressure, the Chilean foward managed to steal the ball from an Estudiantes defender and easily put it past Mariano Andujar (Estudiantes' goalkeeper). Sanchez also assisted Radamel Falcao in the 92nd minute, in what was the goal of the week.

The Player Review -
Juan Marcelo Ojeda: The ex-Rosario Central goalkeeper might have not been as great as in the last two matches, but he did not do bad either. In fact, both of Estudiantes' goals were fantastic and impossible for him to stop. One thing I noticed from him, though, is that he seems to have "butterfingers". Since his debut for River, I've been noticing that he stops shots very well but doesn't seem to actually sustain the ball. Still, Ojeda's image has been much more positive than negative so far. One important thing: Juan Pablo Carrizo is rumoured to return to River for 6 more months due to Lazio's failure to make the first payment. If he does return, Ojeda's regularity will be postponed till next season.
Paulo Ferrari: The new team capitan played an average game. He contributed to the team with his speed, but still didn't do anything too great. Better regular than bad, right?
Nicolas Sanchez: Very similar to Ferrari. An average game for Sanchez, who improved after a few bad performances.
Cristian Nasuti: El "Tano" did a good job before being substituted during half-time. After a long time out due to injuries, Nasuti returned and convinced more than Eduardo Tuzzio. Will he start again on Sunday?
Cristian Villagra: *Sighs*. I thought Cristian was finally putting on a decent performance, but he still failed to impress me. In fact, he committed an error during Estudiantes' second goal. It wasn't directly his fault, but if we would have ended up tieing 2-2, I'd be ready to chop his head off right now! Seriously, though: don't we have any left-backs in our lower divisions?
Fernando Belluschi: I was surprised to see Belluschi's good level of play today. Today's game was the closest he's gotten to his old form for a long time. Besides the goal (1-1) and the assist (2-1), he ran around the whole field and was very active. It was disappointing to see him get expelled after such a good performance. According to the TyC Sports commentators, he only deserved a yellow card. Depending at the way you look at it, it could have been the correct or incorrect decision. No matter if it's right or wrong, Belluschi will miss out on Sunday's game vs. Racing.
Oscar Ahumada: I did not like Ahumada too much today. One negative point was the he intentionally hit an Estudiantes players in our area during a corner kick in favor of the opposition. Luckily the ref did not see it, else we would have been left with 9 players and a penalty against us. In other words, with better vision by the refferree, we could have lost the game due to Ahumada's stupidity.
Augusto Fernandez: The youngster, made in River's lower divisions, did a fine job (as usual). His speed and jukes contributed a lot to the team, and completed a good performance with a very offensive midfield (Ariel Ortega and Fernando Belluschi alongside). Much of the fourth goal was thanks to him, after making a good play with Lima and eventually passing it to Alexis Sanchez.
Ariel Ortega: El "Burrito" might have not played as well as in the other matches, but he is still an important part of the team. He gave a few good passes today, but his tiredness from the long series of games was more than obvious.
Marco Ruben: The ex-Rosario Central striker improved today. He seemed to be more active and actually looked for the ball a lot more. This may be the reason he finally was able to score (with an excellent header). Still not perfect, but an improvement nonetheless.
Radamel Falcao Garcia: The Colombian did not have a very good match, but he still put the ball through the net. I am very impressed by him physically. Am I the only one to notice that he always runs around and apparently never gets tired?!?
The Substitutes -
Federico Lussenhoff: El "Colorado" entered during half-time to substitute Cristian Nasuti. This substitution was only made for precaution, since Nasuti had been inactive for a long time now. Either way, both players delivered a good performance.
Alexis Sanchez: The Chilean did a fantastic job and scored one goal (3-2) and assisted another (4-2). Unlike vs. San Martin (SJ), Alexis seemed to have a good connection with his teammates. His constant pressure and willingness to recuperate the ball help out tremendously (just look at how his first goal for River was made!). Next to Belluschi, I think Sanchez was the man of the match.
Rene Lima: Rene came in towards the end of the game to help defensively, but he actually contributed to scoring the fourth goal! The defensive midfielder impresses everytime he comes in, and could have an important future with "la banda".

On Sunday we will face Racing Club, who's football has been going uphill lately. Will we be able to conquer a new win? Only time will tell.

[crzdcolombian]

FALCAO !!! FINALLY U SCORE !!! haha been a year since i paid 80 bucks for ur uniform :) thanks for finally putting one in the net... hope he keeps it up so he can score on the argies come November :)

[DCUtd]

The Player Review -
Juan Marcelo Ojeda: The ex-Rosario Central goalkeeper might have not been as great as in the last two matches, but he did not do bad either. In fact, both of Estudiantes' goals were fantastic and impossible for him to stop. One thing I noticed from him, though, is that he seems to have "butterfingers". Since his debut for River, I've been noticing that he stops shots very well but doesn't seem to actually sustain the ball. Still, Ojeda's image has been much more positive than negative so far. One important thing: Juan Pablo Carrizo is rumoured to return to River for 6 more months due to Lazio's failure to make the first payment. If he does return, Ojeda's regularity will be postponed till next season.

I agree for the most part, but think you are being too nice. On several occassions, he had to catch the ball, and only pushed it away, or even dropped it. He was lucky not to give up the ball in a more dangerous way today, and needs to start holding the ball. That said, the four guys in front of him each week probably don't give him a lot of confidence to come off his line....

Oh -as for Carrizo, he is having immigration problems in Italy, and if it isn't sorted by the end of August, they are going to loan him out for the year. Apparently the tramite there has been particularly slow for him.

Cristian Villagra: *Sighs*. I thought Cristian was finally putting on a decent performance, but he still failed to impress me. In fact, he committed an error during Estudiantes' second goal. It wasn't directly his fault, but if we would have ended up tieing 2-2, I'd be ready to chop his head off right now! Seriously, though: don't we have any left-backs in our lower divisions?

I cannot figure out what he is doing on the pitch. There is nothing positive to say about him. You are way too kind on the second goal. He was nowhere near his man, playing too close to the center, tried to back up to the ball was, and as a result lost his footing then overran him. Plus he gives up the silly fouls - he is trouble.

Fernando Belluschi: I was surprised to see Belluschi's good level of play today. Today's game was the closest he's gotten to his old form for a long time. Besides the goal (1-1) and the assist (2-1), he ran around the whole field and was very active. It was disappointing to see him get expelled after such a good performance. According to the TyC Sports commentators, he only deserved a yellow card. Depending at the way you look at it, it could have been the correct or incorrect decision. No matter if it's right or wrong, Belluschi will miss out on Sunday's game vs. Racing.

I could see their point about it being a yellow because he did look like he was trying to pull out of it, but either way he came in over the ball, studs up. It was dangerous and his dismissal was fair. That said, I hope he keeps playing the way he did today. With Burrito as engancho, he gets a lot more space and puts some more dangerous plays into creating opportunities.

Federico Lussenhoff: El "Colorado" entered during half-time to substitute Cristian Nasuti. This substitution was only made for precaution, since Nasuti had been inactive for a long time now. Either way, both players delivered a good performance.

The guy cannot pass the ball successfully to save his life. He does have excellent positioning, and seems to have a knack for making up for Villagra's mistakes (he was cutting down the angle on the second goal after Villagra blew it), but this must be his last year as he is clearly showing his age. I like him, but River needs some serious help in the back.

Alexis Sanchez: The Chilean did a fantastic job and scored one goal (3-2) and assisted another (4-2). Unlike vs. San Martin (SJ), Alexis seemed to have a good connection with his teammates. His constant pressure and willingness to recuperate the ball help out tremendously (just look at how his first goal for River was made!). Next to Belluschi, I think Sanchez was the man of the match.

I wouldn't go so far as to say MOTM, given he was only on for like 12 minutes, but I am excited to see what he does the rest of the year. Is there an option to buy out his contract?

[Illrod3]

I wouldn't go so far as to say MOTM, given he was only on for like 12 minutes, but I am excited to see what he does the rest of the year. Is there an option to buy out his contract?

Nope, hes' here for only a year at the most.