As much it hurts to state this, River lost the derby against Boca Juniors this afternoon in the Bombonera Stadium on a total score of 0-2. Watching the match thousands of miles north of Buenos Aires, I was hurt to see my beloved team fall victim to an unjust result at the hands of a referee. I can imagine how it must have felt for the hundreds of River fans who witnessed the defeat live. Everything started right for River, but the inevitable injury of Jonatan Maidana and Juan Pablo Carrizo’s bloopers cost River the match. The only who will be left out of any criticism is Matias Almeyda. What he did this afternoon, in front of Boca’s main supporters, will always be remembered. If you missed it, read my other post.
For the first twenty minutes of the match, River was the dominant team on the pitch. Erik Lamela took control of all offensive plays by River, and he was able to get the ball where it needed to be. Boca, seeing that River was closing to scoring a goal, decided that playing-by-force would be their best option. Throughout various corner kicks, Boca’s defense created obvious fouls by holding many River players down by their jerseys but nothing was called. In fact, the referee turned the other way. Suspicious, right?
After Jonatan Maidana’s unfortunate substitution in the 22nd minute of the match, River lost control of the game. A Boca Juniors breakaway left Juan Pablo Carrizo blocking a shot that would have been the match’s first goal of the day. A minute later, Carrizo created a pathetic blooper and scored inside his own net as his attempt to punch the ball away from a corner kick failed. His body deflected the ball inside his net, and Boca took the lead. Carrizo’s next blooper occurred when he lost focus of the ball during another breakaway, and Martin Palermo gracefully headed the ball over him. Two pathetic goals that left River in a dangerous relegation zone.
Was River even trying to score? For the most part, yes, as Mariano Pavone did the best he could to score. Rogelio Funes Mori, on the other hand, was nonexistent in the match. Under heavy critique from the fans, Funes Mori once again failed to prove himself on the pitch. He had many chances to score, let alone participate in an assist, but it wasn’t his day. Coach J.J. Lopez continues to place him in the starting line-up, but why? Funes Mori isn’t First Division material, not yet at least.
It is going to be a tough week ahead for River. We will have to endure Boca’s taunts and ridicule for a while, and eventually put this match behind us. River faces San Lorenzo next week in another Buenos Aires classic, and a victory is needed to avoid further relegation worries.
