Series of defeats for River at Monumental: in what position would he be only in local points

This year, unlike other times, the Monumental is not impregnable. The image of the visitors cheering at the end of the game was repeated several times. And River causes tremendous pain. Not only because he takes him away from the goal, but because the losses at home hurt more.

So far in the league, Marcelo Gallardo’s team played five games, losing two, winning two and drawing one. He only took 7 of the 15 points (46%) in play. And this meager collection of points in Udaondo and Figueroa Alcorta takes River away from the top positions in the standings. It is that it was in 12th place, with 15 units. And if the local table is calculated, the performance is lower. I would be in position 19.

These bad results at the Monumental are not by now. Already in the first half of the year they suffered a defeat in the League Cup Superclásico, played in March, when they fell 1-0 against Boca, which they beat with a goal from Sebastián Villa. Two months later, he was knocked out of that tournament in the quarter-finals by Tigre, who beat him 2-1. The river was local because it had finished in a better position in the regular phase and could not take advantage of the encouragement of its people to pass the Matador de Victoria.

That elimination hit hard. But not as much as the Copa Libertadores. Less than a month ago River failed to overtake Vélez and was eliminated at Antonio Vespucio Liberti. He had fallen in Liniers 1-0 and in the 0-0 draw rematch (including the VAR controversy, which nullified a goal against Matías Suárez for a hand that was not seen) and quickly moved away from the continental maximum tournament, which was the priority objective.

After their elimination in the Cup four days later, River received Godoy Cruz and Mendoza’s team gave him another tough defeat that shook the foundations of the Núñez giant. Tomba’s 2-0 scored so strongly that it left consequences behind closed doors and caused several internal talks to try to overturn the bad football present of Gallardo’s team.

And yesterday, after recovering from the victories over Gimnasia, in Núñez and Aldosivi, in Mar del Plata, they fell again, once again at home. The defeat against Sarmiento was another tough pineapple, given that River needed the three points to sanction the rise of the last two games and not lose sight of those above. But he couldn’t. And once again he received a blow that hurts. And more for being at his home.