When Marcelo Gallardo He said enough was enough and left after eight and a half years as winning as they were historic, River it was filled with ghosts, doubts, unknowns. The succession of the ‘Doll’ implied an immense challenge for everyone: for the board of directors in the election, for the players in the execution with the next driver and, above all, for the new coach. And River went for Martin Demichelis. He took the risk because, although he had gone through the training divisions of Bayern Munich, he had never managed professional football. And ‘Micho’ did not mind. He hit just right. He lowered a line according to a huge club. And he crowned with total merits: he was the best by far. Yes, River champion. Demichelis’ River, champion.
If Post Gallardo was not traumatic at all, Demichelis has a lot to do with it. President Jorge Brito did not exaggerate when, as soon as the game was over, he hugged him and said over and over again: “All yours, Martín, all yours, Martín, all yours…”. Right away, while all the players were sharing their first hugs, the lights of the Monumental stadium went out. And everything was illuminated by a fascinating fireworks display and by the flashlights of mobile phones. Tremendous image.
Fireworks at the Monument
Demichelis enjoyed it. She looked around and around her again and again and was moved to tears. The fans caressed him dedicating a hit: “Come, come, dance with me, that you will find a friend, that by the hand of Demichelis, we are all going to turn around…”.
Demichelis built a winning, ambitious, forceful, attractive team, tailored to the history of River, at the height of the richness of its individualities. He has the best squad and made the difference according to that nominal superiority. But it had to be transferred to the game. And at the hands of Demichelis, Rodrigo Aliendro and Esequiel Barco, who had arrived with Gallardo and had not surrendered, exploded. Demichelis opted for Lucas Beltrán as ‘9’ although he was competing with foreigners who had recently joined, such as Miguel Borja (the club paid 8 million dollars) and Salomón Rondón. And Beltrán combined generosity with mobility and many goals. And he supported Leandro González Pirez, who broke it in defense.
The consecration game lived up to what the team had produced before. Nothing had been played, barely a minute had passed, when River drew a situation that sums it up. González Pires, central marker, one of the defensive columns, anticipated the rival’s field in three quarters, raised his head and put in a pass with total class. That assignment turned into an assist because Beltrán, the scorer, the center forward, the team’s greatest offensive threat, resolved first, against a stick. A colossal definition.
In Beltrán, in general, everything good that this River generates always ends from a midfield arranged with five midfielders, all with good passing, underpinned by the experience of Enzo Pérez and with another four that gather dynamics, passing, verticality, a recurring visit from rival area, improvisation and also goal. The second goal against Estudiantes also offered many of those virtues. De la Cruz sealed it with a delicate shot to a corner.
Players and fans celebrated on the pitch
The third was celebrated with a penalty by Barco, one of the great successes of Martín Demichelis. It is that Barco had not exploded with Marcelo Gallardo. However, the doll’s successor decided to remove her from the band to free him. And the former Independiente and MLS flew with his deep dribble. Ideal to complement Aliendro (the best partner of the idol and eternal Enzo Pérez), the dynamic De la Cruz and the exquisite Nacho Fernández.
River hit his three screams in the first half hour. This is how he liquidated Estudiantes, who just discounted averaging the second half with a nice goal from Mauro Méndez. More than 85,000 millionaire fans took over the Monumental and enjoyed the “Dale champion”, with the team that scored the most goals (45), the one that won the most games (18), the one that rounded off a 76 percent effectiveness, the one that He took 9 points from the second Talleres, which was devoted to two dates from the end. Thus he caught his 38th local tournament, the 70th title in its history.
Unusually, River turned around, but without the corresponding trophy because the Professional Soccer League decided that the official coronation would take place on the last day that the champion played at home. It will be then, in about fifteen days, against Racing. And it will be another huge party. Wow, Demichelis’s River won it.
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