I’m still on such a high from the historic final that I’m not suffering this game as much as I should be.. still, yeah, it’s embarrassing that we couldn’t win it in 90 mins, and it’ll be even worse if we end up not advancing to the final. Feels more like a bonus follow-up event after the copa than the main course
Credit to Al Ain though.. they’re playing us much smarter than Boca did and are actually exposing our flaws
Its sad to lose and Enzo's penalty was an embarrassment of course. Armani should have probably saved one or more of theres. He got his hands to various. But the shoot out is behind the point. It was a perfect storm. We played awful. They played well. Their goalie made some outstanding saves. Pity hit a horrible penalty. We lost. Now we need to focus on keeping the squad together and bringing in some players to try and get back to this point next year.
At least we finished the year on a bit of a high after the debacle in the semi. It’s still a travesty that Pity is going to MLS The directors need to make a policy that no one (other than the dead weight like Lollo) leaves if the buy out clause isn’t paid. Need to keep this group together and buy a few more players
To my understanding Gaucho I believe they have to sell a player or two to help pay for the Pratto transfer. I could be wrong but I remember reading it somewhere
And at any rate, Pity is leaving for his release clause. I don't see any of our key players leaving for a penny less, it's the other squad players who are available a bit cheaper (5-6 million for Montiel would be a great deal for River IMO for example).
¡Feliz Navidad Millonarios! It was an unforgettable year, El m4s grande de America! I wish all the best for You, the best family in the World! ¡Vamos River!
Such a shame we didn’t prepare better for Al Ain.. The same Japanese team we destroyed 4-0 were the champions of Asia in a cup that saw the Saudi side exit in the Round of Sixteen. Further proof that we should have easily won that semifinal match-up and probably wouldn't lose if we played them another 100 times. It was an odd game, starting with the early fluke goal that set a strange pace to the match in the first few minutes. Still no excuse since we managed to flip it early on and should have never had problems holding the lead, but this was an early indicator that things were off. The players never seemed focused and looked like they were playing a friendly rather than a crucial CWC game. While Al Ain's attack definitely contained more technique and talent than many expected, we've regularly faced much tougher rivals throughout the season and just showed a completely different attitude on the pitch when confronting those games. That is not to discredit Al Ain -- they clearly did their homework on our players and studied our flaws and strengths to a science, something we didn't seem to do with their roster. They had a plan and knew how to execute it, while we just looked like a group of friends who gathered at a local park to play a pick-up game. They outsmarted us, simple as that. It's a shame that we let this incredible opportunity to play the final pass, because I truly feel we could (and would) have beaten the present Real Madrid.... but it's what happened. With that said, at least the tough loss showed us our limitations and areas that need improvement ahead of the upcoming transfer window. Maidana is a warrior and an iconic figure of the club, but throughout the season he has been slow and often a liability in the back. While definitely a great player to still have in the squad, it is time to begin grooming other CBs into the XI. Maybe begin giving Martinez Quarta more regular minutes (although his form hasn't been the same post-suspension) or alternate Sibille/Martinez in here-and-there. Still, it wouldn't be a bad idea for the club to consider going after a top centerback, especially since Pinola isn't getting any younger either. Ponzio is also past his prime. Like Maidana, emblematic and still very useful, but we need someone younger and quicker in the middle going forward. Leo still has plenty to offer, but River must have multiple players who are among the best in the continent competing in this position. Zuculini and Enzo have proven to be decent alternatives and Sosa is promising, but it would be great to have another real crack 5 -- NT level, not an Arzura or Rossi. As has been stated by many, we also need to bring in a good wingback or two... It is such an essential position in modern football, especially for teams with Gallardo's playing style. Having a dangerous RB could bring this team as a whole up a notch or two. Up front I am excited with what Ferreira and Alvarez will bring to the table now that they'll be getting more playing time, and then there are other youngsters like Moya and Beltran too. We'll see who arrives to replace Pity, but surely a creative player will be bought and maybe even another forward. It was a crazy 2018, but there is no time to rest on our laurels. We have to keep on making history and hopefully return to the CWC in December for another chance. Vamos millo! Gracias por todas las alegrias!
I think the only player in river's price range to replace pity, is Juanfer Quintero. I think holding on to him and making him feel like he is the main man is river's best replacement for Pity. We need to work on his conditioning, focus, and consistency, but in terms of talent no player can compare to Juanfer on the continent, and we already know he has what it takes to succeed at this club, where as anyone else would have a long period of adaptation
No doubt Juan Fer will be key, but what if he’s injured, suspended, or just having an off day? This team has had troubles when playing without Pity and Quintero, displaying a basic, predictable style that makes it difficult to score. Enzo, Nacho Fernandez, and Ponzio are good midfielders, but we need someone with a creative spark in there as well. I wouldn’t thinking twice about going after a creative midfielder, although I’d like to see Ferreira being more integrated into the team as well
I thought I'd add this, a video of all of Mora's goals for River. Every River fan should really watch this. He scored some truly amazing goals for us over the years, and scored many headers, which is quite remarkable considering he was normally one of the shortest players on the pitch. Un grande rodri!!!
Mora was fire in his prime. I remember him almost singlehandedly knocking out Estudiantes from the Sudamericana 2014 (how different would our history have been if we had been knocked out then?) in a very tightknit game. Then there’s his Libertadores 2015 campaign, with the memorable decisive golazo vs Guarani and his incredible performances in the final games of the group stage that allowed us to sneak into the knockout stages (89th min goal to tie vs Tigres in Mexico in the second-to-last group match.. 2 goals vs Juan Aurich in the final game). Without him, it is safe to say that we would have never won the Sudamericana and Libertadores in 2014/15, nor would we have likely gone on to become the force we are today. And of course, who could forget all the times he completely shat on the bosteros? Un crack con todas las letras. Gracias por todo morita!
As long as we still have Armani, I'll have faith. A few awesome saves yet again. Quintero is a beast. The penalty was so well taken into the side of the net, but his passing and vision make him such a wonderful player to watch. His pass to pratto that el oso couldn't quite control properly off his chest, was just awesome. With such a limited squad, it would be best to see whole sale changes in the second half. Armani, Quintero, Borre, and Pratto should all come out without a doubt, can't be risked another minute
Ferreira is such an interesting prospect. Plays really well. Definitely better than De La Cruz. This pibe needs more minutes