The first game for Nestor Gorosito as coach of River Plate came out a draw as River faced Independiente in the first match of the preseason tournament. In front of a great crowd in Mendoza, both teams were looking for a victory to please their clubs and their fans. For River, it was the debut of Nestor along with a group of young players from the reserves trying to prove themselves on the field. With a mix of last season’s players, River wanted to erase the horrible image that it left a month ago and start the year fresh and full of positive results.
The first of the match proved to be a mix of the old with the new. Although River did manage to dominate more through out the match, there are still key areas that vulnerable to the squad. The defensive area of River still has a lot of work to do. Opposing teams seem to break easily from our line of defense in such an easy manner that it seems useless to have players back there. The midfield section proved to be the most experience section with Oscar Ahumada leading the group as captain of the squad. Great ball handling and efficient passing helped River move across the field easily, providing lots of headaches for Independiente. Last but not least was the forwards. With Gustavo Bou and Santiago Salcedo leading the attack, it was a risky move for Nestor Gorosito. These two players did not have a great season last year and to put them together in the opening match took guts.
The goals of the match came towards the end of each half. The first team to strike was Independiente who scored at the 46th minute of the first half thanks to Hernan Fredes. Off a rebound in the goal area, Independiente took the lead in a split second leaving River with a nasty result at half time. Although River did manage to control most of the match, it wasn’t until the 30th minute of the second half that the equalizer was scored by Gustavo Fernandez. Known as the “Turtle”, Gustavo put the fans and Nestor Gorosito in his pocket with his excellent playing abilities and his emerging role as a potential striker in the first division squad.
The next preseason game for River is against Racing Club, a team which River has easily dominated for decades, on the 18th in Mendoza.
