Pinola has been an excellent signing.. Despite an error here or there, he put on great displays in both of the games he played. He fits very well in Gallardo's system and could become a key part of the team, assuming he stays healthy and continues at this rhythm. Enzo is still adapting, but his class is still intact. No doubt a luxury signing. Alario continues being impeccable. Despite playing more of a target man role as the sole striker in the formation, he showed no problems and actually excelled. He has, of course, been linked to Zenit Plate in recent days, but luckily for us a potential offer would be rejected if his agent still holds the belief of only listening to offers from stronger leagues. Driussi, Mercado, Carlos Sanchez, Kranevitter, Funes Mori, Vangioni, etc. were all key players that were very hard to replace, but you could fill in their spots with other great players. It'll be a near-impossible task for River to replace Alario the day he departs, which will inevitably be sooner rather than later. Perhaps it wasn't our finest game tonight, but overall this team is very promising. Gallardo's tactical fluidity make this team very unpredictable, leaving offensive outlets all over the place. It will be interesting to see what Santos Borre can add to the mix also.
The match was poor, but the result is all the matters really. There needs to be some serious improvement, as our path to the Final will most likely include Atletico Mineiro and then either San Lorenzo or Lanus. I think we should go back to our traditional line-up and bring in Scocco for either Rojas or Perez. I thought Perez looked very good at times, but he clearly is not at 100% in terms of fitness/conditioning. He is a big star, but having only one forward meant Alario had to do the dirty work with his back to goal always pivoting and fighting with the CBs. He needs to be in a position to score. Eventually, I’d take out Rojas, but until Enzo is at 100% I’d put him on the bench. I know its a tough decision to make, its a good decision to have though- no other team in South America has our kind of depth, but Scocco just cannot be on the bench IMO. He also adds such a threat from set pieces, I thought his free kick near the end had gone in. On a side note, Lux had a bit of a nightmare. I'm sure he was nervous playing in El Monumental again after 11 years, but on the one time he ran out of his box and then when he stayed on his line when Guaraní had a chance to tie the match reminded me so much of Battalla. I’m sure he will settle down, but it was nerve racking.
So there it is... Jorge Wilstermann with the upset, and therefore we will be traveling to Bolivia for the Quarter Finals. First leg in Cochabamba (2600m above sea level), series defined at home in El Monumental... If we advance, we'll most likely have an Argentine rival in semis (winner of Lanus v. San Lorenzo/Emelec) The Bolivians have been the surprise of the Copa so far, eliminating Atletico Mineiro, who were the "best" team of the group stage (statistically speaking), and count with the likes of international stars like Robinho, Fred, Cazares, etc. in their squad. In the group stage, Jorge Wilstermann excelled at home, winning all 3 games -- including a historic 6-2 victory vs. Penarol and a 3-2 win vs. Palmeiras. All in all, they have won all 4 home games played so far, yet have struggled away from home (3 losses, 1 tie). Still, as seen today vs. Atletico Mineiro, they are capable of holding on to a good result away from home if needed. It is imperative that River comes back without losing in the first leg, at the very minimum obtaining a tie. It is not impossible to flip a negative score in the second leg, but we've already seen the struggles of said scenario in last year's edition when we faced Independiente del Valle. Can't wait til September.. this year-long Copa schedule gives the players more rest, but man, the gap between stages kind of loses the built-up excitement past tournaments had.
I honestly would have preferred Mineiro. First of all, the altitude is a major factor and we have seen just how badly River has done up there in the past few seasons. Who can forget Independiente del Valle. We also could only manage a draw with the Strongest in the altitude, but in El Monumental we crushed them 6-0. Obviously a 6-0 scoreline against Wilsterman would be impossible, because not only are they a better team, but in a knockout match they would be able to bunker like they did last night. The other reason is the prestige of playing/beating a Brazilian team. After beating Boca in an international tournament, beating a Brazilian club is the next best team. No one can ever forget the Mineirazo 3-0 against Cruzeiro 2 years ago, and man I'd have loved to have returned to that stadium and continued to be able to sing the song "copa belo horizonte y asuncion..." but we'll just have to invent a new song for this Copa. But, speaking of the prestige of Brazilian clubs...Not only did Mineiro flop against Wilsterman, but Palmeiras, the reigning champions, got knocked out to Barcelona of Ecuador. Also take into account Flamengo, Brazilian's biggest club, got knocked out in the group stage. I don't like comparisons between brazilian clubs and argentine clubs as if the copa were national competition, for example, the fortunes of River has nothing to do with teams like Godoy Cruz or Atletico Tucuman who were just happy to qualify, or even Boca, who has played the Libertadores just 1 time in the last four years, but in this case I think it merits a discussion. Brazilian clubs just aren't what they used to be. This doesn't mean Gremio or Santos could go on to win the Copa, but as a whole the performances of Brazilian clubs is pathetic. I think our hardest opponent will be San Lorenzo or Lanus. A semifinal tie against the CuerBos would be just as intense as one against Boca. It would be absolute carnage.
2-0 halftime ... bring in some subs, game's over, no need to risk the starters to injuries. I want to see the Colombian Santos Borre and what he has to offer... maybe bring in Auzqui too to boost his confidence
You didn't miss much, to be honest. River didn't have the best of games, but you could tell the players weren't going all out. Besides a few stints from Pity Martinez, it was clear that the players weren't fully pushing the pedal, especially with the early lead. Which is why I insisted on Gallardo giving more minutes to more hungry players that needed to prove themselves, like Santos Borré Besides that, there were some notable low points: Pinola, who I thought was excellent in both legs vs Guarani, struggled a bit and had a few errors. Lux was very Battalla-like again and just doesn't seem to exude confidence from his face, which further raises the question if he really is an upgrade from the pibe. Enzo Perez was inactive and rightfully subbed off in the second half. The beauty of it all was seeing these amateur players (Atlas is a 5th division team) living the dream of playing River. Wilson Severino, their all-time top scorer and a River Plate fan, couldn't help but lose control of his emotions and showed that this can be more than just a sport: After the game, River -classy as always- invited all of Atlas's team to have dinner with the team. Next game is on Sunday vs. Instituto, although the Cordobeses are trying to postpone the match.
I was going to comment on Lux looking very shaky again after his very poor re-debut against the Paraguayans. I thought he was visibly nervous against Guarani playing in El Monumental after 11 years, but last night he was playing against basically an amateur side and still almost allowed a goal direct from the corner. I've always like Lux and I didn't expect him to be the reincarnation of Amadeo Carrizo, but I was hoping he'd be the safe pair of hands we were missing all last year. As for Rafael Santos Borre, he is an interesting player and I really think he should have gotten more minutes, he did win the penalty. I wish Pity would have let him take it. I do agree with you loco, I don't know Gallardo even bothered to play the likes of Ponzio, Maidana, Pinola... In addition to seeing more of Santos Borre, I would have liked to have seen Barboza make his debut. Although very little can be drawn from a match against such poor opposition, but its clear the 4-5-1 isn't working. I love Enzo Perez, but for me he should be on the bench for the time being with Scocco in the line up. Its clear Enzo isn't match fit completely and we can't get the best out of Alario if he's up on his own. PD on the match Sunday, its absurd that the day after the Superliga was presented and all the directors were talking about having a more professional, more organized set up we have a team basically refusing to play a match because they just started their preseason training two days ago. Seriously only in Argentina does this type of stuff happen
Gallardo seems to be reading our forum on the Scocco issue, but today he tried a team not only with Scocco for Enzo, but also Auzqui for Rojas I'm really anxious to see Borre get more time, not more of the same from el "Perro" Auzqui
Muñe's been reading our forum... where do you think he got his winning formula from when he first arrived and had to rebuild Ramon's XI? (yeah I know, Funes Mori ended up taking Balanta's spot, and Mora started, but only because Lanzini was sold shortly after.... but whatever, F you guys, I still masterminded that unstoppable 2014 team! ) To get back on topic, I do agree that it is worrying to see Auzqui possibly getting a shot from the start ahead of Santos Borre.. In the Copa Argentina the other day, Auzqui also entered as a sub before the Colombian, but lets hope this is just Gallardo momentarily showing his support for those who were already at the club -- kinda like what happened with Batalla/Lux at the beginning, or even with Rojas at first on his return. Regardless of who starts up front though, this 4-3-3 formation will leave a lot of gaps in midfield... only Nacho Fernandez, Ponzio, and Pity Martinez -who counts practically as another forward. I'm assuming Auzqui and Scocco will play practically as wingers, Ponzio as an anchor man/advanced centerback, and Casco and Moreira will move a little higher than usual, but really you'd figure that if there was any time to play Rojas or Enzo over Pity it'd be now, when we'll be needing someone alongside Nacho to help with the dirty work. I can see where Gallardo's going with this, but vs. stronger midfields there's no way this would work out. As for the 4-5-1 formation he had been trying out, I am not fully against it as most people are -- the concept is interesting and can be useful for dominating tough Copa games and Superclasicos. However, I agree with altering it vs weaker sides like Instituto (and specially vs even weaker ones like Atlas), although I'd personally prefer a 4-4-2 instead of a 4-3-3 (Enzo/Rojas x Auzqui). All said, it'll be interesting seeing (what on paper) is a fast team, that could be deadly on the counter.
Well it looks like its going to be more of a 4-4-2 instead of a 4-3-3, with Auzqui playing as a right winger and Scocco as a second striker. Makes a lot more sense, and explains why Auzqui is starting over Santos Borre, as the former Estudiantes man is more of a midfielder than the Colombian. Vamos RIVER!
Lux looking a lot better today... Alario crack... and what a golazo from Enzo, mamita! Moreira also has been in excellent form recently, seemingly more pensive/intelligent than before, transforming himself into an important part of the attack This team is so strong with so many great alternatives on the bench. It'll be exciting seeing what they can achieve this season. The negative today was Casco, who gave away one-on-one situations to the opposition, which could have completely changed the course of the game. Auzqui also played his usual game: no major mistakes, yet no real contributions either. The kid's not a Cuqui Silvani that makes you cringe persay, but he just seems like such an average player, "uno mas del monton"
"Uno más del montón", que va a pasar sin pena ni gloria. Otro Maestrico, o Tojo, o Ballón... I'd rather the pibe Exequiel Palacios started on the right instead. As for Casco, I truly hope the last signing is the Uruguayan LB Gallardo allegedly has his eye on, Saracchi. He's just not good enough to be undisputed starter, a similar situation to the one with Batalla.
I thought Pinola was also pretty disastrous last night. He was at fault for the goal and he had another near monumental f-up earlier on. Casco, you both are right, is just not good enough. I too up we get Saracchi. I am liking what I am seeing from Santos Borre. He's played 20 minutes and he's scored a goal and won a penalty that led to another. I know it was against second (or 4th in the case of Atlas) rate opposition, but you can only play who's in front of you. I think he will play a big part to play in the Libertadores run. Lets not forget, there are so many variables in a Libertadores campaign, you would have ever thought before the quarterfinals two years ago that Tabare Viudez would play the pass to put us in the final, before starting the first leg of the Final himself. And Cavenaghi, completely relegated down the pecking order, ended up starting the second leg, as did the muerto Bertolo, and Mayada started and was actually fantastic, at RB. There are suspensions, injuries, and much to come, so these bench players may even find themselves in a potential Final. I also think Borre is much more similar to Mora or Driussi than Scocco, and we know how well Alario worked with both of them, but Borre has much more speed than either of them. I think it would have been nice to see Barboza in one of these Copa Argentina games as well considering how terrible Pinola has been, and even Maidana could be suspended at some point.
Anyone know how to watch River games now that it appears a new cable operator is televising games? It seems that every other team besides River and Boca are being shown on TYC Sports.
Horrible display, but a win is a win.. It'll be interesting to see how this teams rebuilds without Alario.. For all the bad that Lucas's departure would bring along with it, it could also make room for more minutes for Santos Borre and De La Cruz, paving way for a new, faster, more dynamic team...
Who cares about Alario? We are the biggest team in the world and america. If he thinks its better to play in a pharmaceutical company let him go then... Honestly, Scocco es un crack. BASTA DE HINCHAS DE BOCA. This is River, I don't want anyone who doesn't love the club here