3-1: Victory and victory for Ilog de Demichelis

When Marcelo Gallardo He said enough was enough and left after eight and a half years as victorious as they were historically, river it is filled with ghosts, doubts, unknowns. The successive ‘Doll’ indicates a huge challenge for everyone: for the board of directors in the election, for the players in the execution with the next driver and, above all, for the new coach. And River went Martin Demichelis. He took a risk because, although he had been through Bayern Munich’s training divisions, he had never directed professional football. And ‘Micho’ doesn’t care. He was right. He brought down a line according to a big club. And he is crowned with total merits: he is the best so far. Yes, River’s champion. River of Demichelis, champion.

If Post Gallardo wasn’t traumatic, Demichelis had a lot to do with it. President Jorge Brito did not exaggerate when, at the end of the game, he hugged him and repeated: “All yours, Martín, all yours, Martín, all yours…”. Immediately, as all the players shared their first hugs, the lights of the Monumental stadium went out. And everything was illuminated by a spectacular fireworks display and the flashlights of mobile phones. Huge image.

Demichelis was happy. He looked around him again and again and started crying. The fans caressed him dedicating a hit: “Come, come, dance with me, that you will find a friend, that through the hand of Demichelis, we will all turn away…”.

Demichelis built a winning, ambitious, strong, attractive team, tailored to the history of the River, at the height of the richness of its individualities. It has the best team and makes a difference according to that nominal superiority. But it needs to be moved to the game. And in the hands of Demichelis, Rodrigo Aliendro and Esequiel Barco exploded, who came with Gallardo and did not give up. Demichelis rates Lucas Beltrán as ‘9’ even though he is competing with foreigners who have recently joined such as Miguel Borja (the club paid 8 million dollars) and Salomón Rondón. And Beltrán combines generosity with mobility and versatility. And he supported Leandro González Pirez, who destroyed it in defense.

The designation game lived up to what the team had done before. No one played, about a minute had passed, when River drew a situation that summed it up. González Pires, central marker, one of the defensive columns, anticipated the opponent’s field in three quarters, raised his head and put a pass with total class. That assignment turned into an assist because Beltrán, the scorer, the center forward, the team’s biggest offensive threat, was solved first, against a stick. A huge meaning.

In Beltrán, in general, all the good formations of this River always end from a midfield organized with five midfielders, all with good passing, based on the experience of Enzo Pérez and with four other gatherers of dynamics, passing, verticality, a repeated visit from the rival area, improvisation and also goal. The second goal against Estudiantes also offered many of those virtues. De la Cruz sealed it with a delicate shot in the corner.

The third was celebrated with a penalty by Barco, one of the great achievements of Martín Demichelis. It is that Barco did not explode with Marcelo Gallardo. However, the doll’s successor decided to remove him from the band in order to free him. And the former Independiente and MLS fly with his deep dribble. Perfect to complement Aliendro (the best partner of the idol and eternal Enzo Pérez), the dynamic De la Cruz and the exquisite Nacho Fernández.

River hit his three shouts in the first half hour. This is how he liquidated Estudiantes, who only discounted an average second half with a great goal from Mauro Méndez. More than 85,000 millionaire fans took over the Monumental and enjoyed the “Dale champion”, with the team that scored the most goals (45), the one that won the most games (18), the one that rounded off 76 percent effectiveness, the one that He took 9 points from the second Talleres, committed to two dates from the end. Thus he captured his 38th local tournament, the 70th title in its history.

Unusually, River bounced back, but without the corresponding trophy as the Professional Soccer League decided that the official coronation would take place on the last day the champion played at home. It was then, in about fifteen days, against Karera. And another big party. Wow, Demichelis’s River wins.