SA Blog Number 18: The Tide Is Slowly Turning At River Plate
23rd March 2010
In 2008, Diego ‘El Cholo’ Simeone steered River Plate to the Argentine Clausura. It was Los Millonarios’ fifth league title of the decade and the 33rd league championship of their illustrious history. The title was clinched thanks to a Diego Buonanotte brace that sealed a 2-1 victory over Olimpio inside a jam-packed Monumental. A starlet had come of age, Ortega looked reborn and in Diego Simeone - River had one of the most promising young managers on the continent.
Fast forward six months and the club was in complete crisis. Since that day, when a pint-size Buonanotte swept his right-footed shot across the keeper and set off on a victory lap around the Monumental running track, to say things haven’t exactly gone to plan on the plush side of Buenos Aires would be an understatement.
The next season, they finished rock bottom winning just two of their 19 Apertura 2008 fixtures. What made matters worse that Christmas, was the sight of Juan Roman Riquelme leading fierce city-rivals Boca Juniors through a three-way play-off to the claim the league title. Simeone resigned that year, following a 3-0 home to defeat to Huracan. ‘I cannot abstract myself from what River is going through today,’ said Simeone, capped over 100 times by his country. ‘I´m sure next championship River will return to a prominent role.’
The next campaign was supposed to be one of stabilisation, more than prominence, for the club and an eighth place finish wasn’t too bad considering what had gone before. The River faithful could also take solace in the fact that they finished six places above Boca. Last season, Clausura 2009, was supposed to see River back in the hunt for a 34th championship, but instead they finished a lowly 14th.
2008’s saving grace suddenly became River’s biggest problem going into this campaign. They avoided relegation in that year thanks to a league rule that sees clubs relegated by their accumulative record over the past three seasons; the two teams with the worst three-year averages are relegated. The rule was brought in back in 1983 to protect the nation’s big teams. It served its purpose instantly as River finished second-from-bottom in the Metropolitano Championship and would have been relegated under the old rules.
Nine games into the current campaign and Los Millionaros sit 12th in the table, with a balanced record that reads won three, drawn three, lost three and an equally balanced goal difference of 0. What would usually be, and indeed still is, seen by some as another disasterous season, actually has an air of stability about it. Those twelve points accrued thus far have been huge, because River came into this season with a very real chance of being relegated. They now have a three-year average 1.346. To put that into perspective, Velez are top with 1.673 and Atlético Tucumán bottom with 0.964, leaving River in 12th position overall.
The club have been in the midst of an institutional crisis for some time now. However, since the elections and subsequent appointment of Daniel ‘El Gran Capitan’ Passarella, things are slowly starting to look up. ‘I was expecting a club with fever,’ said former World Cup winner Passarella upon his return, ‘but I found a club that´s in a fourth level of coma, it’s terrible.’
Passarella kept his campaign promise and retained the services of young coach Leo Astrada, who brought in some new faces in an attempt to freshen things up and the mood seems to be gradually changing. Rodrigo Rojas, a Paraguayan attacking midfielder arrived on loan, Argentine forward Gustavo Canales joined from Chilean side Union Espanola, Uruguayan wing back Juan Manuel Díaz made the switch from Estudiantes and Alexis Ferrero, a centre back, rolled up from Botafogo.
But more important than new arrivals from other clubs, has been the re-emergence of young talent from the academy. For an institution that had produced the likes of Pablo Aimar, Javier Saviola, Ariel Ortega, Marcelo Gallardo, Hernan Crespo, Andres D´Alessandro, Santiago Solari, and Gonzalo Higuain over the last 20 years – the lack of young talent coming through the ranks was alarming, and something that was largely put down to the club’s problems off the field.
Passarella immediately appointed JJ Lopez as new director of the club’s Cantera and things are already improving. ‘I like to give them my experience, to help them grow up, not just as footballers,’ said Lopez, who made over 400 appearances for the club. ‘I came from a humble family and many here are living a similar situation. I know what they need.’
The emergence 18-year-old Erik Lamela and 19-year-old Mauro Diaz are positive signs, with both already being chased by a number of top European clubs. However River’s most promising young star is the 17-year-old Daniel Villalba, who announced his arrival, along with 18-year-old striker Rogelio Funes Mori, in River’s 3-1 Torneo de Verano (summer tournament) victory over Boca Juniors.
“We want to improve technique, tactics and strategy,’ says Lopez. ‘The idea is that all age groups play with the same pattern; 4-3-1-2, so the boys have a job in each position. River want them to understand everything about the position they play, so when they reach the first team, they will do so knowing all the secrets of the position.’
There’s still a lot of work to do before River claw themselves out of this crisis and the number one aim is to get themselves back in the Copa Libertadores. Another year without River and Boca competing in South America’s premier club competition seems unthinkable, but looks extremely likely.
The elite South American clubs don’t have the same luxury afforded to their European counterparts; they are unable to spend their way out of trouble. There won’t be any big name signings to pull the Millionaires out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves.
River’s future will, as always, will rely on the Cantera and while many River fans - nicknamed ‘Gallinas’ (literally ‘hens’, but translates into chickens to apparently reflect the club’s habit of bottling the big occasion) - are slowly starting to see the wood though the trees. It won’t happen overnight, but for the first time since June 8th when River lifted their last league title, there are some small signs that the tide may just be starting to turn on the Rio de la Plata.
Rupert Fryer & Liam Harrison, SouthAmericanFootball.co.uk
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Asa
:::2010-04-03 01:30:30
It´s gonna be a tough season for them. 2 losses on the bounce since this blog. Only consolation is Boca are beneath them in the table.
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