Atletico Tucuman almost had an interesting day in the Monumental Stadium. Arriving from the north to visit River, much was expected from the team. They would be facing an uncertain River, a River without an idea of winning a match. Would they be surprised! Although they took the lead right from the start, the Millonarios bounced back in twenty minutes to grasp the win, and give River it’s third win of the tournament. For the first time in many months, River was applauded off the field after a great display of teamwork and effort.
At the 4th minute of the match, Atletico Tucuman’s Gigliotti put a header right past Daniel Vega. Silence engulfed the stands. Another early goal from the visiting team put River in a dilemma once again. The remainder of the first half displayed a sloppy River defense. Atletico Tucuman’s offense had an easy time passing through the defense, but they lacked the ‘last touch’ to score once again. Diego Buonanotte tried his best to equalize, but he also lacked in definition. Both teams went to halftime with concerns, but River had the obligation to tie. Based on this issue, Coach Leonardo Astrada made three important substitutions that would later pay off.
In the second half, the arrivals of Pereyra, Galmarini, and Villalva worked wonders. Coach Astrada knew that he needed fresh players to control the midfield, an area very dominant for River. At the 25th minute of the second half, Marcelo Gallardo received a pass off Galmarini that equalized the match for River. Five minutes later, Diego Buonanotte put River on top after breaking through the rival defense. River now controlled the match and a new team emerged on the field. Two minutes later, seventeen-year-old Daniel Villalva put the third and final goal for River, confirming another win for River. Fans were thrilled with this performance and applauded the team like never before seen in months. Let’s hope this trend continues!