Matias Almeyda became a legend once again this afternoon in the derby against Boca Juniors. Although the team lost, Almeyda won. He left everything on the pitch today, and was crucial in various moments in defending River. After crashing a dangerous breakaway from Boca in the second half, he was given the yellow card. Despite this, he continued to play hard against his adversary. In the final minutes of the match, he had a verbal dispute with Boca’s Clemente Rodriguez and was ejected on a double-yellow booking.
Being escorted away by policemen, a usual habit of Argentine football lately, Almeyda had to face Boca’s ‘La 12’ hooligan supporters section. With the match clearly lost, Almeyda did not want to leave his last derby without having an impact on the match. As he was leaving the pitch, he clearly focused on ‘La 12’ and kissed the glorious jersey he was wearing. In addition, he grasped the jersey with his fist and demonstrated that his love for the squad is eternal.
This act alone was the culmination of stress, anger, and anguish of an unjustly result this afternoon. Once again, he became the emblem of what River is: class and loyalty. All players in the squad, including Coach J.J. Lopez, needs to see a repetition of what Matias Almeyda did today. They need to see that River is not any ordinary club; it is a club of triumph, sacrifice, loyalty, and pride.
Thank you, Matias Almeyda, for showing the world that you are a true hero and a living legend of the glorious and most-winning team in Argentina: River Plate.
Watch Matias Almeyda’s reaction:
