When things started to look bleak for River, the last River idol became the hero in the Monumental Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Ariel Ortega, with minutes left in the second half, lobbied a shot over Chacarita Juniors’s goalkeeper to give River its first win of the Torneo Apertura. It wasn’t all fun and games before the final whistle, and River definitely needs to improve in major sections to overcome future problems.
Once again, River’s defense became the focus of critics. Looking at the final result of 4-3, it showed that River’s weaknesses are not improving. Chacarita Juniors, recently promoted to the ‘Primera Division’ visited the Monumental Stadium on a strange, hot winter day. At the 5th minute of the match, Diego Buonanotte, put River on the board. His return to the starting line-up seemed to be the motivating push for the ‘Enano’ to score. River continued to pressure the Chacarita side but a quick counter attack equalized the match. Chacarita’s Matias Alustiza celebrated the tie with a ‘dog-peeing’ gesture on the corner flag, an offensive gesture that caused major jeers from the crowd. With both teams now wanting to take lead, River took advantage and went up ahead by Gustavo’s Cabral header. As halftime approached, River’s goalkeeper Daniel Vega committed a foul against Matias Alustiza and a penalty shot was awarded. Needless to say, the game was now tied.
During halftime, much could be reviewed. River’s defense made up of Cabral, Ferrari, and Villagra could be compared to a piece of flan. Every attack by Chacarita would make this trio wobble. If River intends on winning this tournament along with the Copa Sudamericana, then it must dedicate a great amount of effort in improving this area. That being said, Chacarita would take the lead at the 8th minute of the second half because of this inconsistency. Focusing on River’s midfield section, Marcelo Gallardo has a poor performance. He managed to lose possession quickly and fall to the ground with a minimal touch. Coach Nestor Gorosito knew that something had to change and he replaced the “Muñeco” with 17-year-old Daniel Villalba. The youngster became a new sensation on the pitch as he tied the match for River a minute after entering the match. All tied up, the game was up for grabs. Both teams made their efforts but time was quickly running out. All of sudden, the hero of the match appeared. At the 42nd minute of the match, Ariel Ortega lobbied a perfect shot over Chacarita’s Nicolas Tauber. The Monumental Stadium exploded and “ORTEGA! ORTEGA” could be heard until the final whistle.
