The long awaited match between Newell’s Old Boys and River Plate has been in the minds of both fan bases as a certain player was involved. The return of Cristian Fabbiani has been in the minds of many fans since the match schedule was placed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best return for the “Ogre”. River depended a lot in this match to have a chance to win the tournament as other teams behind the Millonarios have quickly caught up. With a lot riding on this match, Coach Nestor Gorosito placed his best players to start the match but it caused more headaches than actual play. River lost a match that could have been won with more effort but the only goal by Newell’s towards the end of the match sealed River’s fate.
Simply said, River played a match without any heart. Match after match, I have seen River go downhill without showing any signs of progress. The supposedly “Man of the Match”, Cristian Fabbiani, was no where to be seen. He was greeted with insults and jeers and I think that this had a huge mental factor on him. His acquirement was meant to be a positive factor for the Millonarios but he has let other things affect him. The rest of team was pitiful, just pitiful. Hardly any chances were created to score, turnovers were rampant, and Newell’s dominated on their home turf. The first half of the match also left Radamel Falcao battling defenders on his own. This is a major area that River needs improvement on. One player cannot do everything and lately Radamel has had to put that pressure on his back.
The second half looked a bit more promising for the Millonarios. Marcel Gallardo returned once again during this half and many expected him to “save” River from either a tie or a loss. Although Gallardo did what he could do, it was not enough. River cannot depend on old players all the time. The older a player gets, the harder it is for him to react and my statement could not have more accurate following Marcelo’s example. River once again demonstrated that it is a long way from being an offensive and intimidating team. It seems as any team, regardless of its size, can beat River away or at home. Towards the end of the match, Newell’s scored the only goal of the match leaving their crowd crazy and our crowd silent. It was too late to try any type of counter attack and River had to settle with a loss.
I’m disappointed, feel cheated, and insulted by my favorite club in the world. This game had to be won to attempt wining the tournament. River depends on itself to win this tournament but the other teams ahead will have to lose for any possible chance. River’s next match is against Lanus, one of the strongest teams in Argentina. Will I be in a better or worse mood after that match?
