River’s miraculous goal at the end of the second half allowed the Millonarios to bring a point back from La Plata, and avoid another loss as the visiting team. Nobody said it was going to be an easy match and it sure wasn’t. River struggled in the first half but redeemed itself in the second, thanks to Marcelo Gallardo. Gustavo Canales scored his first goal for River, ending a 96-day personal drought, and it hopefully he can continue scoring many more.
Although Gimnasia de la Plata isn’t one of the strongest teams in the tournament, they have been giving all of their opponents a tough match. River went to the “Forest” (a term used to describe Gimnasia’s stadium), with a few drawbacks. Matias Almeyda would have to sit out of the match due to his bookings from the previous match, Ariel Ortega continues to have problems and is struggling on his own, and Marcelo Gallardo was not in the starting line-up. With two of the three ‘idols’ out, Coach Leonardo Astrada had a tough challenge ahead of him.
At the 8th minute of the first half, Gimnasia went ahead with a goal by their Colombian striker, Marco Perez. This goal completely drained the motivation out of the Millonarios. River struggled to maintain the ball by their feet; it seemed as each pass or dribble rebounded off the players. Gimnasia took advantage of this and had many chances to score more if not for Daniel Vega’s quick agility. River’s goalkeeper continues to be the star of the match, saving the team in many occasions. In one breakaway against Marco Perez, Daniel Vega completely shut-down the striker and breathed a sigh of relief for the team. ‘Sloppiness’ would be the best word for the first half.
Coach Leonardo Astrada had to do something because another loss would bring his and the team’s reputation at a sad level. Opting for some experience and leadership on the pitch, he brought in Marcelo Gallardo. The ‘Muñeco’ completely changed the team by giving a major offensive push. His constant maneuvering around Gimnasia’s defenders allowed forwards, Daniel Villalva and Gustavo Canales, to react more rapidly. Each counterattack by River was almost a goal, but it officially became a goal in the 46th minute of the second half. Gustavo Canales scored his first goal for the Millonarios since being acquired from Union Española of Chile.
Things have to start getting better for River, and as many times as it is said, the team needs an experienced forward to bring back the pressure on the opponents. I sometimes think that the team plays too much with the fans’ feelings, but the unconditional support continuous to pour. It’s time for fans to receive the same kind of treatment.
