River Advances to the Semifinals!

After an agonizing night, River was able to classify to the semifinals of the Copa Sudamericana with a dreadful tie of 0-0 with Defensor Sporting of Uruguay. Although River passed through to the next round, the reality is that this team looks like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide. On certain games, they look like the super offensive team that dominated Boca a few weeks ago and determined team that scored four goals against Botafogo of Brazil. On the other hand, including last night, they look like a team with a weak defensive & attacking approach that lacks recovering balls in the air.

Last night, in front of over 40,000 fans in the Monumental, the Millonarios only needed a tie to advance in the Cup. What turned out to be an easy game to many, in reality it turned out to be another heart wrenching game. Every mistake committed by River leaves gaps that usually end with a goal scored against River. Defensor Sporting knew that River was not proficient in recovering long passes or centers in the air, and they used this advantage through out the whole game. Juan Pablo Carrizo turned into a hero in Buenos Aires, but that title was almost taken away by a disastrous attempt to clear the ball away. Many shots were taken to Defensor’s side but the goal did not want to go through. The best chances resulted in the ball hitting the goal post twice, once by Belluschi and then by Ortega.

Lastly, Ariel Ortega played an excellent game but his remarks at the end of the match will sure enough turn some heads in the corporate offices. “In this crappy field, one cannot play” and “We want to become champions but it seems we have everyone against us” were clear messages to management. He said these things towards the Monumental’s use for concerts and events. With the popular Soda Stereo getting ready for another performance on Friday and Saturday, will the pitch be in good shape for Sunday’s game against Independiente?

The tie left a sour taste to all River fans. Although Defensor Sporting proved to be a challenge, the following team to play River will be tougher. Arsenal of Sarandi, one of Buenos Aires’s strongest underdogs, will be the next competitor. Arsenal eliminated River from this very same Cup back in 2004. To leave on a positive note, the young, talented Buonanotte will be able to play the semifinals. Will this motivate the team as once before?