Playing in Malvinas Argentinas Stadium in Mendoza, River Plate played their second preseason match against Racing Club. Although the crowd was fairly “lite” for both teams, fans from up north were able to see their favorite team on their grounds. One word that I dislike to associate River with is “boring”. Unfortunately, this match had “boring” written all over it and the players seemed to be bored at the same time. Maybe it was the time the game was played or the week fan attendance but it made me sleepy several times watching it on the television. All in all, it was a preseason match that River needed to win but a miserable, late draw was the final result for this match.
Coming off another draw with Independiente last week, River needed to gather up some points to at least have a chance to win the preseason cup. Racing Club was looking to do the same and be on top of the mini-tournament. With both teams eager to play, the match commenced at a rapid pace that found Racing quickly taking control of the match. River had a considerably experienced starting line up, with Radamel Falcao, Mauro Rosales, Diego Buonanotte at the attack and Oscar Ahumada as “Captain”. These experienced players had to prove themselves on the pitch and prove their leadership. Racing knew that the pressure was more on River than themselves so they got their best player, Argentina Youth Champion Claudio Yacob, to put them in the lead at the 8th minute. As the minutes passed by, River did manage to stop Racing in certain situations and retake a counterattack that proved lethal. No concrete play finished the attack and River missed many chances to go on top. The half-time whistle was blown and doubts soon filled the air.
Before I continue on to the second half, I would like to add an interesting note of something I noticed. At one point during the first half, you could hear a very loud chant coming from the stands. “Orteeeeeeeeeeeega, Orteeeeeeeeeeega” could be heard reverberating through out the stadium, a clear indication to River’s management that Ariel’s presence is not forgotten. Back to second half, I was skeptical as to where or how River would start. It’s unfortunate that teams like River Plate cannot find the magic formula to score goals, or might I add, win a match. Coach Nestor Gorosito did make some key substitutions that influenced River’s dynamic second half which were Matias Abelairas and Gustavo Fernandez. These two players managed to bring some control back to the team and all was looking positive until Oscar Ahumada saw the red card. Now everything looked bleak again and “a loss” was starting to creep its way into every fan’s mind. With the pressure on again, a familiar hero returned. Radamel Falcao gave River the tie at the 47th minute of the half off a header, and as the final whistle blew, some confidence was restored.
Mark your calendars because on the 24th, River faces archrival Boca Juniors and it is set to be a very heated game. “First Place” vs. “Last Place”, something I wish was the other way around.
