It was an excellent way to finish the ‘2010 Apertura Tournament’; by crushing the last opponent of the year. River visited Lanus in southern Buenos Aires on a sunny afternoon yesterday, with the chance of closing the year on a positive note. Earlier last week, River suffered a devastating 0-4 loss to Estudiantes at home but the team redeemed itself with a 4-1 victory over Lanus. With two goals by Mariano Pavone, and the remaining two others by Erik Lamela and Adalberto Roman, River finished the tournament with 31 points and a 4th place spot in the standings.
The match was completely in River’s favor from the start as clarity on the pitch allowed the ‘Millonarios’ to move freely on all sides. Erik Lamela opened the match for River with a wonderful goal off a center lobby shot. Week after week, Lamela has been improving in his position and it has caught the attention of Italian-giants, A.C. Milan. Much speculation about his possible transfer overseas has River president Daniel Passarella under pressure, but Lamela’s desire to stay at home may be the final decision maker. With the end of the first half approaching, Lanus was awarded a penalty shot after Roman unintentionally hit the ball with his harm inside the goal area. With the match now tied, River went inside the locker room looking for alternative approaches to win the match.
Coach Juan Jose Lopez organized the strategy perfectly for the second half, because River demonstrated great ball skills up until the final whistle. Six minutes in the second half, Adalberto Roman scored River’s second goal through a header. The Paraguayan defender has made a mark with his distinctive headers with River, and he has become a promising player for the upcoming season. Not to be left out, Mariano Pavone wanted to make his mark as well before the end of the match. Minutes after Roman’s goal, Pavone was awarded a penalty shot after being tackled in the penalty area. Not missing his chance, Pavone, scored River’s third goal of the match and clearly put the team above.
At the 75th minute of the match, River’s fourth and final goal of the year made headlines throughout the day. Pavone began to rush towards Lanus goalkeeper, Mauricio Caranta, to put pressure on the goalkeeper when he possessed the ball. In a fluke moment, Pavone deflected the goalkeeper’s kick and the ball went straight inside the net. This match was a great motivational finish for River, particularly for this rough year. Much will be in talks during the break such as the continuation of Matias Almeyda and Coach Juan Jose Lopez.
View the goals below:
