The Monumental, the stadium where Argentine football matches are won

A few minutes had passed since the triumph of River 2-0 first Uruguayan national team when the captain of the Uruguayan team, Diego Polenta, launched a phrase that remained in the air in the conference room of the Monumentale. “We don’t have a football pitch like this in Uruguayan football. I’m surprised. Not for the environment, but for the playing field. We should copy him a little because the truth is that he is spectacular,” said the 32-year-old central defender. And he added: “The state of the playing field is noticeable. You know in the fields we play in Uruguay. And when we go out, in places like that, it’s very evident. The ball, which goes faster than normal, stings them, falls on their chest and passes over us as a matter of habit.” “I agree with Diego: the speed and pace on this court are different“, added the coach Álvaro Recoba.

To the words of the footballer and the Chinese They were completed by a journalist from a newspaper from the neighboring country. More words, fewer words, said the journalist: “River will be one of the great candidates to win the Libertadores if he comes first in the general classification because by playing in the Monumental he has a great advantage.

The results of River’s matches at the Monumental confirm the Uruguayans’ thoughts. Even statistics have caught up with her Martin Demichelis -in charge since November 2022- becomes even bigger when compared to the rest of the big Argentine clubs.

Demichelis played 32 matches at Antonio Vespucio Liberti: he won 26, drew 4 and lost 2. The defeats were against Arsenal (1-2, 26 February 2023) and against Huracán (1-2 , November 4, 2023, with Diego Martínez as coach). AS, River with Micho in Núñez won 81% of their matches and obtained 85% of their points. The numbers are fabulous. And hard to match.

To make a comparison with other teams you need to take the games played at home from the beginning of last year to today. The differences are abysmal and only concern Rosario Central, like Miguel Ángel Russo As a coach he is a little closer to River.

In that time, Mouth He played 26 times at La Bombonera: he won 14, drew 7 and lost 5; collected the 62% of points. Thus, the Xeneize prevails in 54% of duels played (just over half), a far cry from the 81% that River gets.

Racing In the Cylinder he won 18 of the 33 matches played, drew 7 and lost 8; This is the 54% of the matches he plays in Avellaneda and maintains the 61% of points.

With Ruben Darío Insua on the bench, Saint Lawrence He became strong in the Gasómetro, even if he lost less than he won. There were 34 matches: 15 wins, 14 draws and 5 defeats; he prevailed in the 44% of the matches and bagged the 57% of points.

Of the so-called greats, Independent He’s the one with the worst record in the chosen cut (Demichelis’ debut in River). In Avellaneda, Rojo played 26 duels, won 9, drew 9 and lost 8. Thus, the King of Cups barely prevails in the 3.4% of the matches at Ricardo Bochini and gets the 46% of points.

It deserves a special mention Central rosary, who lost 32 games unbeaten against Barracas Central weeks ago. El Canalla has played 28 times at Gigante de Arroyito since 1 January 2023: he has won 18, drawn 9 and lost only against Handsome; is imposed on 64% of meetings; stay with him 75% some controversial points.

Therefore, statistics show that there is a powerful relationship between the fans and the team which causes theThe Monumental transforms into a real fortress.

“The atmosphere that the managers created for the first time with the renovation of the Monumental is very good. A very strong energy has been created between the fans and the team. Many tourists come to Buenos Aires and want to come and see the River We play without fences, families come. It’s a spectacle in every sense. The landscape is what also allows us to have this present. It’s difficult for rivals to come here and we also feel very comfortable what to do with our way of playing, sums up Demichelis Clarion in July last year.

Messi, unbeatable at the Monumental

Lionel Messi, the captain of Scaloneta, loves playing in the new Monumental stadium. The same thing happens to the rest of his teammates because the conditions of the playing field are similar to those experienced match by match in Europe.

“The only one who played very high was Uruguay, but on a very close pitch, which favored Uruguay’s game more. Because the Bombonera is smaller than the River pitch. I think that, if we played on the River pitch, it would have been a different match,” Dibu Martínez said weeks ago.

But For Messi it is also special to play for Núñez because he has a special streak: he has never lost. Pulga played 25 matches, with 20 wins and 5 draws. He scored 14 goals; that is, an average of 0.56 per game. Furthermore, he provided 9 assists.

Leo’s first time at the Monumental dates back to 9 October 2005, in Argentina’s 2-0 victory against Peru in the South American qualifiers. The last time, meanwhile, was on October 12, 2023, in a 1-0 win against Paraguay in the current qualifiers.