Independiente Rivadavia-Independiente, for the Professional League Cup: what time it is, where and how to see it

Independiente, the only major Argentine footballer without international competition, will begin the new season with expectations consistent with their history when they visit promoted Independiente Rivadavia de Mendoza this Friday for the first match of Group A of the League Cup. The match will be played starting at 9.15pm at the Bautista Gargantini Stadium in the Parque General San Martín, a stadium with a capacity of 20,000 people that the Mendoza management has prepared in all its sectors for the historic participation in the AFA’s top category .

The game will be refereed by Qatar 2022 World Cup player Fernando Rapallini, who will be assisted by Sebastián Martínez in VAR. The broadcast will take place on the ESPN Premium screen.

After having secured their stay in the first division in the second half of 2023, the “Red” faces the year with more ambitious goals. The need to fight for a title increases because it is the only major team that will not compete in Conmebol tournaments this year.

Carlos Tevez saved the team in the last League Cup when the position in the annual table threatened the second relegation in the history of the institution, but he knows that in 2024 the bar will have to be raised.

For this reason, Independiente immediately activated itself in the transfer market and undertook a recruitment policy which had as its main protagonist the Paraguayan scorer Gabriel Ávalos, of Argentinos Juniors.

The “Guaraní” national team player, 33 years old and 1.90m tall, has just concluded the best phase of his career in the La Paternal club, with which he scored 47 goals and 14 assists in 122 games from 2021 to today.

Ávalos will be the new offensive reference of Independiente de Tevez after the departure of the previous scorer, the Uruguayan Martín Cauteruccio, who lost consideration, forced his freedom of action due to a debt and left for Peruvian football.

The “Rojo” was also strengthened with defender Adrián Spörle, Ecuadorian midfielder Jhonny Quiñonez, Uruguayan midfielder Gabriel Neves, attacking midfielder Alex Luna and striker Ignacio Maestro Puch.

Everyone was able to play after the club’s management lifted a ban by paying 400 thousand dollars to Italian Pescara for a transfer debt of Uruguayan Edgar Elizalde, who was not part of the delegation that came to Mendoza.

Beyond the renewed aspirations for this year, Independiente cannot neglect the averages given that they will start just nine points behind Lanús, last in the table without considering the newly promoted Independiente Rivadavia and Deportivo Riestra.

The “Leprosy” of Mendoza will experience its debut season in the top division of Argentine football, which it entered with a brilliant season in the tough 2023 Primera Nacional tournament, won in the final with Almirante Brown.

With six participations in the old National Championships (1968, 1973, 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1982), Independiente Rivadavia will be stable in the First Division for the first time, with a renewed team, now led by Rodolfo De Paoli, who replaced Alfredo Berti from Santa Fe.

The Independents played historic times, with one victory for each side. The first time it was defeated for the “Rojo” (4-0 in 1968) in Avellaneda and the second time in ’73 it ended 2-1 for the local team from Mendoza.