Arsenal Did It Again

Last night, in front of 77,000 fans in the Monumental, River lost the chance to pass to the finals of the Copa Sudamericana. With a chance to redeem itself from a disastrous year, River needed only one goal to pass on to the finals with Club America from Mexico. The key players were on the pitch, except for Radamel Falcao, who is in Colombia training with his national team.

On one side was River, the most experienced team in Argentina. With a glorious history, fan base, and professionals wearing the “Banda Roja” jersey, the night seemed magical. Many may remember the beautiful welcoming that the team had back in 1996 with fireworks, confetti, chants, and all the good stuff that a love for a team brings. Back to reality, the fans were there but something was lacking and the fans would find out 90 minutes later.

On the other side was Arsenal of Sarandi. This small team, now considered to be one of the best in Argentina, has been on the rise for a number of years. With support from AFA President Julio Grondona (Arsenal Fan), this team has seen many upgrades on its team and on its stadium. The only thing that was missing from this promising team was an international championship. They looked tough and ready to eliminate the Millonarios from this very same cup once again. 

After 90 minutes of play, the game ended 0-0. At the end of the match, the fans witnessed clear chances of goals by Belluschi, the injury of Ortega, and the dismissal of Ahumada. River looked weak and Arsenal looked strong. Although the reality was this, the idea was to win at all cost. The final whistle only meant one thing, and this was penalty shots. River has a long history of unsuccessful tries in this area and tonight would be another failure. After two failed attempts by Belluschi and Lima, Arsenal finalized their victory by scoring the last penalty and winning the game on a 4-2 aggregate.

This year has been very rough for the Millonarios. The team that I love has lost too many times, especially to unknown teams. With losses to Arsenal, Libertad, Atlético Paranaense, Caracas Fútbol Club, Almagro, Gimnasia de Jujuy, San Martín de San Juan,  and Tigre, all I can say is that we need a new coach and possibly a new team president. What will happen in the next few days? Who is responsible? Will management take care of the Monumental’s pitch? To those of you who abandon in the worse times and cheer on the team in the best times, please do not say you are from River. Amongst the fan base there is a common phrase, “Aunque Ganes o Pierdas” which means “If you win or lose”. Support the best team in the world, even if we are going through tough times.