Demichelis’s river restores a debate that borders on mathematics: must we play at all costs?

River has a fundamental problem. He exposed himself again in the defeat against Belgrano in Córdoba on Saturday. THE Backwards it doesn’t give the security the team needs. And in turn a new facet has been added which for now seems to make the defenders of the team uncomfortable Martin Demichelisthat is, to play steadily from the back, a requirement established by the newest coach of the Núñez club.

the error of Enzo Diaz, which led to Belgrano’s first goal for Kempes, reflects both problems. On the one hand, beyond the misfortune of having slipped, there was the intention of the former Talleres to want to play outside when the play could have required another resolution (a rejection or even a touch to Franco Armani) after being been positioned with his back turned to his marker after closing in behind Jonatan Maidana and outlined to the right, his least skilled leg.

In the second goal, in which Andres Herrera loses the ball there is also the intention to avoid clearing the ball in the first instance and then the full-back only gets more complicated by going back with pressure from Ulises Sánchez, the same player from Cordovan’s team who stole the ball from Diaz in the first half .

So, the debate reopens: Should we go out and play at any cost? Is it necessary to put it into practice even if you don’t have the best interpreters to do it? Is it a matter of time and work? Does it give better results than going out with a long pass or a ball? Is it just a matter of aesthetics?

For Demichelis it is a matter of probability. And according to the thought of the River coach, there are more chances of creating goal situations when playing from below than shooting long balls or conceding fewer goals.

“I am one hundred percent convinced that if a rival comes to pressure you with threes, you have to play out; If he goes to press with four, you must play. If it comes to print with five, you need to pay more attention. And if he presses with six, there’s no more short pass, the pass is longer. It’s already math. With the three above, plus one more, it’s definitely neck and neck. One versus one. It depends on the phase of the match, it also depends on the opponent,” he said at the press conference.

And he continued his explanation: “Now, if they come in press with three and we have the line of four, plus a midfielder or two midfielders (six), plus the goalkeeper (seven); If I shoot long, I have three or four ahead, against six or seven players from my rival. I work on all probabilities. If we throw it long, we will score goals, yes. And some of those three will beat the rival seven and fight it and keep it, but they’ll be lucky, so it’s unlikely.”

Finally, speaking of these situations, he stated: “I propose, we train, we try to look for an evolution, for things to work, and then the players decide on the pitch. We won’t be stupid either. We have a plan A, a plan B and a plan C. Then the players have their own feelings of security, trust or distrust, there is tall or short grass, there is mud, rain, rival. I give them the options so they have the passes to play, then the players on the pitch decide,” Demichelis reiterated as an idea.

Indeed, against Central Córdoba in Santiago del Estero, with the pitch in very bad conditionthe team did not prioritize the ground start.

But, on the other hand, the presence of Díaz in the team as a starter, making his debut in a position which, although he knows, is not his usual position on the pitch, given that his great performance came from left-back, reflects the problem that River has there, which relates more to individual levels.

except Jonathan Maidanwhich has given excellent champions of its category, but it is in the last part of his career, it gives the feeling that since the departure of Luca Martinez Fourth, River has no hierarchy in the back. Neither Paul Diazneither David MartinezDespite passages of good times, they have been able to establish themselves as undisputed. and if well Emmanuel Mammana He has the potential to become a player of that style, injuries stand in his way.

So, without being able to count on Mammana, Demichelis opted to choose a full-back who wants to work as a second central scorer, because he is left-footed and assumes he has more skill and foot sensitivity to play from below.

This situation also shows that the excellent transfer market made by River perhaps lacked the most essential position to fill, which was central second goalscorer, as Paulo Díaz and David Martínez were recovering from injuries. But, without a seductive name, Demichelis preferred to keep what he had and I bet that hierarchy will come in June intended. In any case, these back problems are not new, but come from the last stage of Marcelo Gallardo’s cycle.

Meanwhile, the recovery of Martínez is awaited, having entered the final stretch of rehabilitation for a patellar tendinopathy in his right knee that prevented him from playing normally in the preseason in the United States and if he responds well both physically and mentally this week. football, Demichelis I’d make him a place in the concentrates for Sunday’s match against Argentinos.