River Plate came out victorious over Quilmes this afternoon with a score of 1-0, and the squad has taken first place in the Torneo Clausura 2011 standings. With a goal by Paulo Ferrari in the first half, River brought home another 3 points to accumulate a total of 15 points thus far. As always, a large group of supporters accompanied the squad to southern Buenos Aires to lend their support before, during, and after the match. River seems is heading in the right direction, but stills needs to improve in key areas to avoid losing the match during the final minutes.
After last week’s victory over Newell’s, River became determined to keep a winning streak alive. Visiting Quilmes was a challenge for the squad as both teams were seeking to distance themselves from the relegation zone. For River, last week’s superstar, Leandro Caruso, returned to the starting line-up but he struggled to maintain the same form he showed last week. Nonetheless, two important players made up the difference: Paulo Ferrari and Erik Lamela. Ferrari and Lamela played a great match this afternoon by supplying the midfield with efficient plays and tactics. As a result, Ferrari’s goal was a result from one of these plays. Diego Buonanotte also contributed to the squad in many occasions, and it seems that he will be getting more playtime as he has improved drastically in the past few matches.
In the second half, River struggled to maintain the lead. Quilmes began to overcome River’s defensive line, but Juan Pablo Carrizo assured that nothing would go through. Having a strong goalkeeper has kept River in good form, but the squad needs to improve to secure a match. Although this victory is important, it could have been lost easily. More goals are needed to secure the win. Coach J.J. Lopez must find ways to make his attackers more aggressive; and ensure the squad that they have the capability to do so.
See Paulo Ferrari’s Goal Below!
