The game was played tonight at the Julio Grondona stadium, in Sarandí; It had arbitration by Patricio Loustau and it meant the second consecutive 0-0 for River: the last date was with Racing and, in some way, it explains the deficiencies that Marcelo Gallardo’s team exhibits in this reconstruction stage.
Arsenal, which is with Newell’s Old Boys one of the teams that have not yet won, reaped an important point against one of the candidates and strengthened the confidence of its coach, Sergio Rondina, who had been questioned by the poor results.
With the tie, River reached 12 points and joined the group of escorts (Banfield, Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero, Racing). The leader of the zone is Colón, undefeated and with 19 units.
River monopolized the ball throughout the first half and, as it always does, widened the court with the projection of the reappeared Montiel and Angileri, but it ended up repeating itself in the center’s formula to try to reach the goal.
Except for a couple of filtered and vertical passes with which Enzo Pérez almost found Matías Suárez, the same thing happened to Gallardo’s team as on the previous date with Racing: he did not find the ways to reach the opponent’s goal clearly.
Already without Nacho Fernández, who managed times and spaces to define the dynamics and the search, River hopes to find his replacement, in principle, between Palavecino and Carrascal. Today the former Deportivo Cali started and it didn’t work out. Neither Julián Álvarez, who must go down a few meters to get involved in creation. Neither De la Cruz, who must help Pérez in the clear exit.
The other deficiency that River continues to show with respect to the brilliant team of some time ago is in defense: without Martínez Quarta lost clarity in the first pass and, also, security in the background, beyond the good task today of Paulo Díaz.
Arsenal, in this context, was adding confidence as the neutralization scheme worked and, also little by little, it was encouraged to approach Armani, who had to intervene on two or three more or less risky occasions to avoid the fall of his arc.
River had a good approach to the minute of complement, with a low center from the left of Angileri that crossed the goal without anybody getting to push it; but Arsenal, with the changes of Sergio Rondina, proposed more dispute on the ball, balanced the game and also had a nice arrival, a free kick from Candia -excellent hit- that was barely deflected.
River responded with his best combination, a pass from Enzo, a cue from Suárez and a shot from Palavecino on the edge of the area that Medina took to the corner.
From there, and for a long time, the visitor’s siege on the Medina arch was accentuated. And although he still did not hit the fine pass, it was enough to keep the “Ass” paralyzed, concerned in the only activity of preserving the zero.
When the local was left with ten for the expulsion of Farioli, Gallardo moved the bank to exploit all possible roads during the last quarter of an hour. There was no case. River, used to power, this time could not. That is the new challenge for Gallardo.
On the next day, the ninth, Arsenal will visit Godoy Cruz in Mendoza (Saturday 10 from 14) and River will receive Colón de Santa Fe at the Monumental stadium (Sunday 11 from 21).
– Synthesis –
Arsenal: Alejandro Medina; Julián Navas, Ignacio Gariglio, Gastón Suso and Nicolás Castro; Jesús Soraire, Emiliano Méndez, Leonel Picco and Alejo Antilef; Alan Ruiz and Jonathan Candia. DT: Sergio Rondina.
River Plate: Franco Armani; Gonzalo Montiel, Paulo Díaz, Davíd Martínez and Fabrizio Angileri; Agustín Palavecino, Enzo Pérez and Nicolás De La Cruz; Julián Álvarez, Rafael Borré and Matías Suárez. DT: Marcelo Gallardo.
Changes: in the second half, before starting, Lucas Albertengo for Antilef (A) and Brian Farioli for Ruiz (A); 19m Jorge Carrascal for Álvarez (R); 21m Bruno Sepúlveda for Candia (A); 31m Federico Girotti for Borré (R); 36m Agustín Fontana for Palavecino (R); 43m Maximiliano Rogoski for Picco (A).
Admonished: Soraire, Picco, Castro, Farioli, Albertengo (A); Suarez (R).
Incidence: in the second half, 30m expelled Farioli (A).
Referee: Patricio Loustau.
Court: Arsenal.
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