2-1: River, KO in Libertadores after a thrilling finish

He river of Martin Demichelis I went through 2023 in pure happiness, in pure swagger. They only won the domestic league by eleven points difference. It showed an economic balance with surprising numbers. He played with the imprint of another team, brave, with good qualities, in a thin Argentine football. And of course he is excited about liberators, for what he proposed and for the reinforcements that arrived at the last minute (Manuel Lanzini has already confirmed; Martínez is unfortunate to be confirmed soon) to travel the final path of that continental competition that keeps everyone awake. However, in Porto Alegre, the millionaires’ dream of the cup fell again in the round of 16, as in the previous edition, this time in a crazy game.

River is not the dynamic, clear team, with possession, high pressure and quick recovery. River is not the usual team. Inter suggested a strong development, with friction, with friction, they won distributed balls and created several situations with an Enner Valencia who could not be stopped whenever it accelerated and went deep.

In any case, with 20 minutes to go, the story is stuck at zero to zero and River are classified according to the 2-1 achieved at home. Up to two plays with the ball stopped, a millionaire weakness, the Brazilians took advantage. First, Gabriel Mercado takes the lead. Later, after a detour to Leandro González Pirez who fired Franco Armani.

River didn’t seem to react. Demichelis was left in the spotlight for his decisions: due to the injury of Enzo Pérez, seeing that his team was not the same, instead of putting a containment like Matías Kranevitter he included Nacho Fernández. And later, it took a while to get rid of Milton Casco (Valencia had passed him) and bring in Robert Rojas.

It gave the impression that everything was closed, but the River was launched desperately. Demichelis appealed to Agustín Palavecino and Facundo Colidio (another reinforcement). And in the 90th minute, after a corner, Robert Rojas nailed the discount and made history in penalties.

There, in that dramatic series, there is the most exquisite, perfect execution. But Pablo Solari also failed, slipping, hitting the ball twice and crying as his goal was disallowed. In the next shot, Inter had a chance to win: Franco Armani dived to one side and Carlos de Pena kicked to the other side, but the shot hit a post. Because the grass in the penalty spot was badly damaged, the referee moved the shot to the other goal. It was all resolved when Rojas, the owner of the goal that restored River’s illusion, crashed his shot off the crossbar. The final blow to River was delivered by Sergio Rochet. The Uruguayan goalkeeper, who had been the hero in the first leg keeping out some very clear occasions, asked to execute. And he did it with all wisdom.

Demichelis showed her face without drama

River was premature because it could not beat Rochet in the first leg, because of its failures in the plays with set pieces and because it was difficult for him as a visitor throughout the Libertadores: he won only one point from the twelve he played . Noticeable…

Demichelis showed his face, but logically he did not dramatize: “It was a difficult blow because there was a great illusion. We had to be eliminated in the round of 16 and it was completely unexpected. They scored two goals from set pieces. We didn’t defend well in the first and in the second there was a detour. He went astray and you have to find out why. You mustn’t lose your composure or composure. You have to continue on this path “.

And now… it’s Boca and Cavani’s turn

With a very wide group (Nicolás De la Cruz and Lucas Beltrán will leave in this context?), River will only play until the end of the year for the League Cup, which will start in ten days. He was the local champion, but he quickly fell to the Copa Argentina and now the Libertadores. This is not an exaggeration, but this is the first big blow in the ‘Post Gallardo era’. Knowing that he is gone, he will now be able to watch Boca on television, who will be looking to reach the quarterfinals against Nacional from Uruguay in Edinson Cavani’s debut.

DATA SHEET

2 – International: Sergio Rochet; Fabricio Bustos (m.81, Igor Gomes), Gabriel Mercado, Vitão, Renê; Johnny Cardoso, Maurício (m.71, Pedro Henrique), Charles Aránguiz (m.71, Luiz Adriano), Wanderson (m.81, Carlos De Pena); Alan Patrick (m.86, Bruno Henrique) and Enner Valencia
Coach: Eduardo ‘Chacho’ Coudet
1 – River Plate: Franco Armani; Milton Casco, Leandro González Pírez (m.82, Agustín Palavecino), Paulo Díaz, Enzo Díaz; Enzo Pérez (m.38, Nacho Fernández), Rodrigo Aliendro, Nicolás De la Cruz; Pablo Solari, Esequiel Barco (m.82, Facundo Colidio) and Lucas Beltrán
Coach: Martin Demichelis
The objectives: 1-0, Gabriel Mercado (m. 69); 2-0, Alan Patrick (d. 77); 2-1, Robert Rojas (d. 89)
In the penalty shootout scored by Internacional: Luiz Adriano, Valencia, Bruno Henrique, Pedro Henrique, Renê, Mercado, Cardoso, Igor Gomes and Rochet and by River Plate: Palavecino, Beltrán, Fernández, De la Cruz, Colidio, Aliendro, E. Díaz and P. Diaz. Failed: Solari (Canceled by VAR) and Rojas (River) and De Pena (International)
Referee: The Uruguayan Andrés Matonte. He advised locals Vitão, Aránguiz, Wanderson, Alan Patrick and Rochet and visitors Armani, Solari and González Pírez
Incidents: Return match for the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores between Internacional and River Plate played before about 50,000 spectators at the Beira-Rio stadium, in the city of Porto Alegre