The Demichelis river and the reappearance of an ancient enigma that seemed to have been banned by Gallardo

That River It has the best team in Argentine football, apparently an almost unanimous truth. What is the pointer Professional league with the ease that the five points away give him Saint Lawrencehis escort, and many others with his fellow followers, is also in sight. The change of leadership occurred after the highly successful management of Marcellus Gallardo for eight and a half years and with an income of Martin Demicheliswithout experience leading First Division teams but with intense training in the formative stages of the powerful Bayern Monaco The German, a club where he spent many years under ownership in his cycle as a brilliant player, seemed like a wise decision on the part of the management. And the facts – triumphs, long undefeated without goals against, victory in the classic against Boca, beyond the controversy – were proving the path taken.

Demichelis has shown himself to be a coach faithful to River Plate’s tastewith a dapper style of possession, and offensive in its demands, with a large offer of technically gifted players and with its own team very attentive to “tactics”, studious of the opponents and inclined to vary formations according to their presumptions regarding characteristics of its rivals.

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He began to believe he would play with three wingers and gradually changed position by reinforcing the midfield area (for ball possession) and playing with only one true striker. He found in Beltrán the possible ideal, putting off the “famous” Borja (Colombian, long sought after) and Rondón, Venezuelan star with a good run in Europe.

The vicissitudes of this unthinkable match gave some ups and downs to the functioning of the team. A little, perhaps, motivated by his eagerness to change formations and substitutions on the fly. But there was no reason for the denunciation… The team has continued to motivate its people as it did in Gallardo’s day (with the exception, perhaps, of the last year). Everything OK.

The Copa Libertadores, another face

But the Copa Libertadores appeared on the scene (a taboo that the previous DT had removed) and, suddenly, the feeling changed. A defeat with The strongest, in La Paz, it is always probable. And it was (1-3). But the victory (1-5) of fluminense, in Rio de Janeiro, was beyond any calculation. Who didn’t hide the victory (4-2) against Sporting Cristal at the Monumental. Why the most striking thing is the number of goals conceded: 10 in three gameswhen in the local tournament Armani had spent eight matches unbeaten.

The possibility of straightening the path in Lima has been taken with great optimism. And it was a “walk” by River in the first half. Once again – as had already happened in the domestic sphere – the creation of objective-situations did not coincide with their realisation. And he deduces that the absence of more than one true striker has something to do with it. Because this is football and what used to be a success can turn into a failure. Goals are usually scored by forwards, one can say as a rule of a Monday newspaper.

The real thing was that a mistake made several times by Salvatore Armani (he rejected the chest of a rival who he transformed with his foot), opened the anguish of a possible elimination in the first round. The penalty that referee Garay awarded to River, at the request of the VAR, after Lutiger stripped Nacho Fernández’s shirt, left Cristal with 10 players. It was a chance to stop the desperation. But goalkeeper Solís saves Borja. Until almost the end Aliendro managed to equalize. Slight relief, after all. But greater relief was felt when Grimaldo’s shot in the 93rd minute hit the post after an imperceptible deflection by “savior” Armani. One by one.

The possibility of going to the round of 16 was therefore open. And even without outside help. It will be enough for him to win the two home games, against Fluminense and with The Strongest. The one for the Brazilians will be the hardest. But there are no options (although a draw according to the other results could be fine). They are numbers, indeed. But Martín Demichelis’ River has to solve the riddle between the local and the international. Which was an account opened before the arrival of Marcelo Gallardo.