If something became clear to Instituto after managing to maintain the category in the First Division in 2023, it is that to stay in the elite you have to fight every game. You have to grit your teeth and fight each match like “a final.”
And the beginning of 2024 showed that what is coming will be even more complicated, with Albirrojo’s desire to continue growing and evolving as a Professional League team.
To make matters worse, in his debut he played the newly promoted Deportivo Riestra, an old acquaintance of the promotion who had his absolute debut in the top category doing what he knows how to do: battle.
The final 0-0 left the feeling of little in the premiere of Glory, which had the support of more than 23 thousand fans in a Monumental that looked packed.
In the return of Silvio Romero and Guido Mainero, both starters, the victory that would have been perfect could not be achieved.
Diego Dabove’s team will play again on Monday, at 9 p.m., against Atlético Tucumán.
A crowd in Alta Córdoba for the start of the Institute’s 2024 campaign. (Javier Ferreyra / La Voz) “El Chino” Romero in action against Riestra, in his return match with the Instituto shirt. (Javier Ferreyra / The Voice)
A red that changed everything
The first half could be seen as a preview of everything that will happen to Deportivo Riestra’s rivals during this Professional League in 2024.
The thing is that “Malevo” plays that role of being the villain very well in all the fields he visits. Already with the known particularities of the promotion (his black shirt with the three stripes that is Adidas without being one, the rough play, the iron defense near his goalkeeper, the permanent protest) he is driving the team in front of him crazy.
Obviously it was an uncomfortable debut for an Institute that is putting itself together again, after maintaining the category and the natural turnover that occurred in the squad.
Players who had come from promotion left (Graciani, Parnisari) and also “Maravilla” Martínez, their scorer. And new faces arrived and also an emblem like Silvio Romero.
Dabove sought to surprise with a different approach at the start of 2024. A 4-2-3-1 with Romero as the only striker and two wingers like Mainero and Gregorio Rodríguez, plus a beautiful chance for Damián Puebla, who broke it in the reserve in 2023.
But those who imagined opening that match against Riestra quickly and having a happy start to the championship were wrong.
La Gloria reneged and spent the first 45 minutes of the 2024 League Cup like a child.
The visitor closed in close to goalkeeper Arce and gritted his teeth on each ball, leaving no space.
It will be enough to write that there were no shots on goal in that entire first stage.
And, to top it all off, Gregorio Rodríguez raised his right leg more than necessary on a split ball against defender Goitía and saw a direct red card.
Thus, Instituto ended the first half with one less player. Yes, what was coming was going to be even more complicated.
For the complement, Dabove did not make any changes to the team despite the less player and the match was planned the same.
Instituto had the greatest role despite having 10 players and Riestra was now a little more encouraged to look for his chance to counterattack.
Diego Dabove and his analysis, after Instituto’s goalless debut against Riestra, in Alta Córdoba. (Javier Ferreyra / The Voice)
The team needed more “El Gato” Lodico to appear to make a pass that could open the game.
As the minutes passed, the coaches began to move the bench and make some changes, taking into account that they play again on Monday.
Brahian Cuello and the new area forward, Facundo Suárez, entered the room. Also “Nico” Barrientos. Mainero and Romero came out, applauded on their return to the club.
In the final 10 minutes, Instituto looked for it with centers that rained into the “Malevo” area, with center backs that cleared everything again and again.
The 0-0 tie seemed to be heading straight towards an outcome that was impossible to change. So it was.
There will be time for other happy nights at the Institute. There always are.
