Martín Demichelis clenches his fists, smiles, celebrates. Sums up how everyone feels river. Finish the match. It was a 2-0 victory over fluminense. The Monumental, filled with 86 thousand people, became another symbol of the celebration. The millionaires have successfully overcome a limitation situation and now have great options to qualify for the round of 16.
That night was not easy. River lost 5-1 against Flu in Brazil. Fears and doubts mingled. However, at home, River imposed conditions in the first half. He pressed hard up top and cornered the Brazilians, but he lacked efficiency and little clarity in the final metres.
Demichelis’ team struck at the start of the second half. He recovered, changed the rhythm, disarmed the Brazilian defense, Pablo Solari put in the center and Lucas Beltrán scored. Fluminense, who played away, at a disadvantage, were more excited, coming out of the bully and also taking advantage of the physical exhaustion of River, who suffered several scares. And there’s also a hand from Leandro González Pirez in the area. It was a penalty for Flu, but VAR didn’t even intervene.
A Fluminense goal left River on the brink of the abyss. There was uncertainty. There was nervousness. Until extra time Esequiel Barco sped up, dribbled and brought it into the area. That punishment was sanctioned. Barco used everything himself, executed with class, scored 2-0 and closed the story.
It was a full night for River. The result at the height of La Paz also favored it: the local The Strongest surprisingly lost 1-2 against Sporting Cristal. Now, in Group D, River is second with 7 points, two less than leaders Fluminense, who has 9. Sporting Cristal is third with 7 and last with 6 is The Strongest.
The millionaires will determine the classification on June 27 in Monumental against The Strongest. They have to win, although they can also go through with a draw. In a normal game, River should not have any problems to crown their jump to the round of 16. The worst is over.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
