A more punctual look, related to the first leg against Freedom from Paraguay and this round of 16, allows River believe. However, a more global analysis, aimed at the real possibilities of the team to win the desired Copa Libertadoresdoes not throw too many conclusions for illusion.
This is this River. Play with both sides of the currency. The first half in Asunción was very worrying. The millionaires did not generate a goal situation, they hardly kicked the arch and, although they were not ball, they needed some great save from Franco Armani so as not to lose rest.
Gallardo didn’t like the team at all. “Go in front, go forward, old …”, shouted several times the doll. And in the halftime he made three changes. Inside Juanfer Quintero, Nacho Fernández and Sebastián Driussi. Outside Kevin Castaño, Santiago Lencina and the static Miguel Borja.
Driussi (River) disputes a ball with Rojas (Libertad)
River grew a lot with those modifications. We will have to see how far it was because of the wear and tear that took energy to freedom. The real thing is that Nacho Fernández drove the ball more quickly and fluently, associating with Juanfer. And Driussi, who returns from an injury, although it shows that he is still lacking rhythm, he was much more quick than the Colombian Borja.
Thus the goalkeeper Martín Silva had to be demanded sometimes before Facundo Colidio, Juanfer and Gonzalo Montiel. Anyway, although he exhibited a clear superiority and deserved victory, River did not devastate either. “The second half is the closest thing to what we want,” Gallardo said.
It is estimated that, after this 0-0 in the first leg, River will not have problems to qualify for the quarterfinals and solve Thursday’s rematch in the Monumental, in a much faster field and with greater spaces. However, if the team does not evolve and fails to deepen the change of rhythm, it will be difficult to ratify as a great candidate to win the Copa Libertadores, its great obsession.
In this sense, Gallardo was also asked at what point is the construction of the River that seeks: “We have a great squad. We are in the process of forming the best possible team, flowing better and better game by game. We know that today we still have problems to generate that reliable team that we want. I am confident that we will continue to improve.”
