San Martin kills River's Spirit

What I witnessed on Wednesday afternoon was a total disgrace to the fans, to the team, and to the rich history of the club. River lost to San Martin from Peru by two goals to nill. Both of the goals were scored by horrendous errors made from the defensive end of River. I have seen plenty of matches in which River played bad but this game was meant to be won. It was the initial game in the Copa Libertadores and it was Simeone’s first international game with his new team. Everything was in River’s favor, based on the statistics, but one thing was forgotten and it is that we should not underestimate a team.

San Martin was the Peruvian champion, defeating the biggest teams in Peru and acquiring a championship within its three years of existence. Their players on the field do not have any name recognition as do the players from River but they did have something that the Millonarios didn’t have and this is the hunger to win. With Tuzzio and Cabral giving up key areas in the defensive, San Martin was able to win and win big. The last goal shot through my heart like a dagger.

If there is something positive about this match, it is that River woke up to reality. I enjoyed the preseason and was thrilled when we beat Boca Juniors but now is the time to prove River’s colors on the pitch. We have a solid history behind the club and losing to unknown teams is ridiculous. I thought that this bad stretch of losing ended with Passarella but it seems that it had been haunting River and will continue to haunt the team. On Sunday, the 17th of February, River face Newell’s Old Boys in the second week of the tournament. I, like all of you, expect a win. In fact, I demand a win.