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| Gonzalo Martínez (photo from taringa.net) |
Yesterday evening, the previously postponed match between Copa Libertadores champions River Plate and Quilmes was finally played to start the season for each team. Here is how it went.
In general, you can say it was a typical game of two halves. A relatively slow start with a lot of help from the referee led to River's opening goal, a penalty from Rodrigo Mora. While the spotkick itself was pretty questionable (Alario went flying), Mora missed on his first attempt. A Quilmes player had run a yard into the area during the attempt. It was an extremely harsh decision by the linesman who had raised his flag.
During the second try, the same thing happened, but this time Mora blasted it into the top corner and the goal stood. River took the decision that went their way happily and could continue playing with the lead.
However, Quilmes responded with angry attacks of their own, pressurizing the hosts in El Monumental. After a total defensive disaster in River's back four, they got the equalizing goal through Sébastian Romero. There was nothing that goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero could have done about it.
Instead, he came up big shortly after, making an outstanding save low to his left. The speed with which he reached the pitch was impressive. Keeping his team in a tied game, young super talent Gonzalo "Pity" Martínez bailed his team out with a superb strike right before halftime. From 25 yards out, his shot found the back of the net over the helpless hands of Quilmes' Walter Benítez.
This goal seemed to change a lot momentum wise among both teams, as River came out firing out of all cylinders to begin the second half. Pity Martínez was wide open on the edge of the 6-yard box and fired home another one in the 52nd minute.
Rodrigo Braña completely put the game to bed then. Quilmes' captain came up with an unbelievably stupid and hard foul on the sideline and rightly received a straight red card for his efforts.
The home team got going even more then and scored another two for a final result of 5-1. Rodrigo Mora with his second and Lucas Alario were the goalscorers in minute 60 and 72. Alario's goal profited from an offside position of assist man Iván Alonso, who celebrated his River debut after arriving from Uruguay's Nacional.
A few more good chances could have seen the game end with an even higher result, but the bottom line is that River fully deserved this after their second half performance. Especially Gabriel Mercado with his overlapping runs on the right and Nicolás Bertolo in midfield stood out aside from the strikers.
River are visiting Belgrano next week, while Quilmes host Colón.
Elsewhere: CA Lanús won away at Estudiantes, 0-1 (Goal: Román Martínez). Sarmiento celebrated a 1-0 home win over Vélez Sarsfield (Goal: Carlos Bueno).
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