River Plate lost this Sunday against a formidable Sarmiento, from Junín, by 2 to 1, in an unexpected result of the 11th. date that stopped his incipient rise in the Professional Soccer League.
Gastón Mainero, the figure of the field, and Federico Andueza, in the first half, scored the goals for Sarmiento’s first victory at the Monumental, while Emanuel Mammana discounted for River, which came from two wins in a row.
The hard fall left River with 15 points, 10 behind the leader Atlético Tucumán (25), while Sarmiento added the fourth success in the tournament and reached 14 units, and in the annual table he was at the limit of the classification to the South American 2023.
The great victory of Israel Damonte’s team can be explained by the intelligent and concentrated work of their coaches, who did not give the homeowner a chance throughout the game.
Although he adopted a defensive posture, and at times arranged a line of five defenders, four midfielders and a forward (Lisandro López), he clearly read the moments of the game.
Sarmiento noted that River abused the lateral pass, without depth, and that as the minutes passed he became a prisoner of imprecise passes in attack. The only situation in River’s favor was a mid-distance shot by David Martínez that Meza took to the corner.
River also showed a discreet level in Palavecino, Simón and Aliendo that conspired with their intentions in attack.
The visit closed the bands, with Arismendi and Mainero, and forced River to play in the middle, in a funnel that did not allow him to advance.
To that he added opportunism. Mainero received a pinpoint pass from Martínez, to win the race against David Martínez, and define before Armani left.
Shortly after, Armani deflected Mainero’s shot, who executed the precise corner for Andueza’s headed goal, before the giant doubt in the local goalkeeper’s exit.
Sarmiento, with many high points, could have extended the advantage in the second half with a very strong shot from Mainero that hit the near post and crossed the goal line. At that point, Marcelo Gallardo ordered changes in River, with Juan Fernando Quintero being the most outstanding.
The Colombian midfielder, with his foot adjusted, opened Sarmiento’s defense for the center that Mammana deflected with his head, to Meza’s surprise, to score his first goal since returning to Núñez.
That period was River’s best moment, with Quintero plugged in and with a clinical eye against Sarmiento’s iron defense.
The tone of the game did not change until the end. River tried by all means, with more impetus than ideas, with the return of Matías Suárez. The thermometer was ruled by the River fan, with notorious impatience in the final minutes.
Nicolás De La Cruz had the tie, but his shot found Rasmussen on the way.
Sarmiento did not deviate from his script and with the skill and “European” quality of “Pata” Lucas Castro found some oxygen every time the ball passed through his feet.
River rounded off a weak game, due to his own mistakes and to the merits of Sarmiento, who had his perfect night in Núñez, while continuing his struggle to stay in the highest category of Argentine soccer and looking askance at international competition.
On the next date, River will visit Independiente and Sarmiento will be local against Lanús.
Synthesis
River: Franco Armani; Milton Casco, Emanuel Mammana, David Martínez and Elías Gómez; Enzo Perez; Santiago Simón, Rodrigo Aliendro and Agustín Palavecino; Lucas Beltran and Miguel Borja. DT: Marcelo Gallardo.
Sarmiento: Sebastian Meza; Gonzalo Bettini, Gastón Sauro, Federico Andueza and Federico Rasmussen; Guido Mainero, Lucas Castro, Emiliano Méndez, Fernando Martínez and Yair Arismendi; Lisandro Lopez. DT: Israel Damonte.
Goals in the first half, 30m. Mainero
and 43m. Andueza
.
Goal in the second half, 21m. Mamma (R)
Changes in the second half: José Paradela and Nicolás De La Cruz started for Aliendro and Gómez (R); 15 m. Juan Fernando Quintero and Paulo Díaz for Palavecino and Casco (R); 23m. Matías Suárez for Beltrán (R); Jonathan Torres and Jean Pierre Rosso for López and Mainero (S)
Booked: Helmet (R); Mendez, Meza and Castro (S).
Referee: Hernán Mastrangelo
Stadium: Most Monumental
