It was an emotional night in the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires as River started the quest for obtaining the Copa Libertadores championship. This time it was Nacional of Paraguay who made their first appearance in Argentine soil and based on their last performance in the preliminary rounds, they were going to be a tough opponent. The stadium was almost a full house, with chants and support coming in from every angle. Of course, the main attraction besides the match was the desire to see Crisitian Fabbiani enter the pitch. With the atmosphere ready for a match and a surprise, the calm night in Buenos Aires was the perfect touch.
As soon the match begun, River came out to attack. It was very good to see the positive outlook of the team on the pitch. In the past, I have complained that River looked doubtful when approaching their opponents causing confusion among the players. The action on the pitch proved me wrong. The midfield was solid which caused some interesting plays that almost became goals. Gustavo “The Turtle” Fernandez made his debut as a forward in the starting line-up , a feat that many upcoming players wish from the start. The 18-year-old proved to be menacing force in the attack along with Diego Buonanotte. Mauro Rosales was the third piece in the attack and his experience and skill was greatly seen in promising plays. One area that surprised me was the defense. Counter attacks seem to always leave River off-balanced and it usually leads to a goal but River was solid on this end. Only a few times did Nacional approach Ojeda’s goal area, and he was on top of his game each time.
The first half was done and the demand for Fabbiani’s debut began to be heard all around the stadium. The pressure was on to see River’s new idol, and River’s coaching squad felt it right away. At the 16th minute of the half, everyone’s desire was fulfilled. “Number 23”, the “Ogre” was finally and officially playing with River’s jersey. His stance on the pitch proved to be very strong despite reports of his weight. He managed the ball well and made some important passes, while occasionally letting a fluke occur. River tried desperately to score but Nacional did an excellent job holding their line. At one point, Nacional began to attack ferociously leaving River behind. The Paraguayan club almost scored and the reality began to sink in once again. The 90th minute approached with the game tied at 0-0 and no chance to score. At a blink of an eye, Fabbiani stopped a lobby pass on his chest and kicked a strong shot towards Nacional’s goal. Off a deflection off the goalkeeper, Diego Buonanotte received the ball and gracefully put the ball in to put River on top. The media has argued that the goal was offside, in which numerous replays have “proven” it to be offside. The reality is that the goal was held valid and it gave River its first victory in the Copa Libertadores. Regardless, the match was won and River started on the right foot to obtain the most desired championship.
