Maximiliano Uria
02/12/2020 - 18:45
- Clarín.com
- sports
It was barely a few minutes past midnight on Sunday. Marcelo Gallardo spoke, in the mixed zone of the Union stadium, of the importance of the victory of the team in Santa Fe to continue as the sole leader of the Super League. It was a game suffered and River was able to move it forward.
There was relief in the coach's saying. But there was also a hidden feeling of happiness for something the game had given him: the certainty of Juan Fernando Quintero's definitive return. Yes, for the first time since returning from the ligament injury, on March 17, 2019 before Independiente, Juanfer was whole, strong, fearless and running alongside his teammates. And now, the question-like question will get bigger and bigger: will he return to the starting team on Sunday against Banfield in the Monumental ?
The first indication of the definitive return of Quintero was given by Gallardo when he decided to put him - and not Cristian Ferreira - instead of Lucas Martínez Quarta at 27 minutes of the first half. The Colombian, in the thinking of the DT, was already to endure more than an hour of intense play.
There were 63 minutes that Juanfer played in Santa Fe and he was observed as in his best days in the cast of Núñez: he ran a lot, stepped on the grass, stung in more than one opportunity to recover the ball, collided with the rivals, kicked -mal, it is true- from outside the area and asked for the ball again and again to participate in the elaboration. In short, there were no traces of the injury. The rest, the fair pass, the quality of his left foot, the vision of the game and much more, are intrinsic questions of his being.
"Against Unión I felt good, every day I feel more confident. It's already 10 months of my injury," Juanfer explained. And he said: "You always want to play more but you know that the reality is different and you have to assume it. I simply train and want to play, although I respect the coach's decisions."
" Juanfer entered well . While it was fresh, it gave us quality of play and control," were Gallardo's words after the triumph in Santa Fe.
He has accumulated 10 Quintero matches since returning from the injury, on October 12, 2019 against Almagro, although he only started once: against San Lorenzo and was replaced at 65 minutes. In total it adds 328 minutes and did not score goals.
Wednesday's practice left no hint regarding the team that will play Sunday against Banfield. Nicolás De La Cruz, with lumbar discomfort, worked differently. Anyway, from the coaching staff they assure that it would arrive without problems to the duel with the Drill . The other possibility for Juanfer's entry is to break the line of 5 defenders to add a flyer. If so, between Lucas Martínez Quarta and Javier Pinola a place will be played to accompany Robert Rojas. What seems certain is that the moment of Juan Fernando Quintero finally arrived.
