River Plate did not take pity on Sarmiento on Saturday night, whom they thrashed 7-0 in Junín for the 13th date of zone A of the LPF Cup, and achieved the pass to the quarterfinals.
Those of Núñez, by adding 26 units and placed second in the group, secured the classification because those who come in fifth position, with 21, will no longer be able to overcome it, including Sarmiento himself, who was left with few chances to achieve that goal.
The wide River Plate victory was achieved with a hat-trick by Julián Álvarez and two conversions by Tomás Pochettino, Enzo Fernández, Esequiel Barco and Santiago Simón.
The last time that River had converted seven goals was on July 18, 2018 for the Copa Argentina at Central Norte de Salta.
In the moments before tonight’s match, Sarmiento’s authorities offered a distinction to striker Jonathan Torres, who in the last two seasons that he has been part of the team became the all-time top scorer with 28 conversions, with which he surpassed his predecessor José Raúl ‘Toti’ Iglesias, with 26, scored in the 1980-1981 seasons.
With the setting of the stadium full of supporters from Junin, the local team gave intensity to their actions from the beginning in an attempt to drown out River’s exit.
Sarmiento, with high pressure, generated several dangerous approaches towards Franco Armani’s goal.
But after the first quarter of an hour, those led by Marcelo Gallardo were able to get out of that siege to begin to balance the development and generate their first clear situation through a low shot from Chilean Paulo Díaz, from outside the area, which caused the stretch by Josué Ayala to deflect it down the baseline (18 min).
When the local defense ordered themselves to control the opponent’s onslaught, Tomás Pochettino unbalanced with a skillful maneuver to overflow from the right and send a center back that Enzo Fernández spliced it to require another intervention from Ayala (26 min).
What at first impressed that it was going to be a complicated match for those with the red band little by little turned it in their favor so much that in less than two minutes they reached a double advantage against a rival, who became disorganized due to the greater capacity of the porteño cast.
So it was that given how difficult it was for him to enter the ‘Green’ area, River insisted on the shots from outside the area to finalize the opening through a violent shipment from Pochettino, which Ayala, despite his slap, could not avoid ( 34min).
After cardboard, a local defensive error Álvarez knew how to take advantage of very well to seize the ball, advance and finish off with violence to the left of the rival goalkeeper (35min).
Thus, the scorer of the ‘millionaires’ was reunited with his ‘friend’ after 697 minutes that he did not convert, since that goal he had scored in another win: 4-0 against Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, on March 13 last , in the Monumental.
Seven games went by, there were many for a definer by lineage such as the future Manchester City attacker, since next June, not being able to convert, that’s why he got all the scoff by scoring again for the third conquest of his team, after a measured center of Milton Casco (45 min).
Although the account did not end there because he insisted on the hat-trick to take the souvenir ball, which Álvarez achieved in the complement (18 min) by scoring the sixth for his team, after Fernández (6 min) and Barco ( 13 min) will point out the previous two.
Before those led by Israel Damonte, who became disoriented and did not find answers to control those of the ‘Muñeco’ Gallardo, Nuñez’s cast flourished and did not waste an opportunity to increase the figures, as did the entered Simón for the seventh (24 min).
Within a very happy night for River, the discordant note was given by the departure of Pochettino (7m. ST) due to a strong blow to the instep of his right foot, when he was the driver and figure of the team.
For the 14th and last date of zone A, Sarmiento will visit Talleres de Córdoba and River Plate will receive Platense.
