Maximiliano benozzi
01/06/2021 18:42
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 01/06/2021 18:42
Tuesday night was one of the most fateful of the Marcelo Gallardo cycle.
He had a defeat of those that hurts and that reveals some shortcomings that a team with category and hierarchy managed to hide.
River -as almost never seen in recent times- was a self-destructive team.
He was fragile.
Without forcefulness in the rival area, he completely undressed from the middle to the back and never rebelled, something improper of the
Doll
cycle
.
So there was a continuity of errors.
From Armani's gift to
Rony
, through Rojas' weakness to score, Pinola's decoupling, the null setback of the midfielders, the poor recovery after the rival skipped high pressure and the lack of forcefulness, to irresponsibility by
Jorge Carrascal
, who was sent off after hitting a hard pointless kick.
A deadly combo.
In this context, River suffered a 0-3 in the first leg, this time as a local, unlike the one it had suffered in the first leg of the 2017 Cup quarterfinals, at the height of Cochabamba against
Jorge Wilstermann
.
Obviously the situation is different because Palmeiras is not Wilstermann.
It is a team with hierarchy and with the possibility of being champion.
And on top of that the revenge, although without an audience, is in Brazil ...
Even so, Gallardo keeps the faith.
He took responsibility and maintained: "We made mistakes and we paid them dearly."
But River's coach also threw: "We have to cling to who we are. A team that is respected throughout South America for our game. We will seek to make the dream match."
Later, he added: "We would have to have
an epic night
, one of those nights that happen every so often but exist. You have to go for that epic."
Javier Pinola reinforced the concept of the coach.
"Trust this team," said the defender.
Rojas runs behind Luiz Adriano after his mistake, but he can no longer fix it.
(Photo: Reuters)
It is true that the River de Gallardo already had two exploits in the neighboring country.
But this time the difference to be raised is much greater than against
Cruzeiro
(2015) and Gremio (2018), teams that had defeated him 1-0 in the first leg in Buenos Aires.
Now there are three goals.
And there are no antecedents that invite illusion.
And is this River in a position to build that epic?
Do you have what to believe?
This time it seems too complicated.
And not just because of the three goals ahead of Palmeiras.
Also, for football reasons.
River lost
solidity and defensive security
.
And this is not new, but it was more exposed because the crash was against a tougher opponent.
With Nacional de Montevideo he had also suffered behind, but the six goals and the overwhelming step from the middle of the court forward had swept those problems under the carpet.
Also with
Athletico Paranaense
it had been complicated in Brazil by defensive failures.
In that series against those of Curitiba a lack of efficiency had been observed.
River had generated many situations both in Brazil and in Avellaneda but only scored two goals: one from a stopped ball and the other from a rebound after a missed penalty.
Against Nacional the forcefulness returned but against Palmeiras he was absent again.
Of 11 shots, only two went to goal.
The Brazilian team kicked the same number of times but six went towards the three sticks that Armani defended and three were goals.
It was not enough for River to have had
71% possession of the ball
or 80% accuracy of the 555 passes to generate more chances and better attack the spaces.
Gallardo hugs Scocco after the comeback against Wilstermann in the Libertadores 2017. (Photo: Télam)
Similar situations were discussed two months ago, in River's previous defeat (1-3 with Banfield).
At that time he was crushed on the goals that were made through the stopped ball and in that if the first pressure did not work and he could not recover the ball or cut the opponent's exit then he would suffer to rearm.
All that was present in the match with Palmeiras again.
It seemed that River ended
the match against the Brazilians
physically and mentally exhausted
.
He will have a week of recovery but in the middle he will play against Independiente to see if he can reach the final of the local cup.
What will Gallardo do?
Will he play with substitutes to give headlines a break to see if the epic can materialize?
Nothing guarantees results and the alternative team has done well when they had to play the domestic tournament.
It is likely that against
Red
there will be a mix and that the
Doll will
save the players who need more rest for the rematch with Palmeiras.
To think about the epic, Gallardo will first have to recover the spirits of his players.
For this, the work of Dr.
Sandra Rossi
will be essential
once again.
And then diagram a team that gets stronger from the middle to back.
The coach's message after the game was aimed at the heart of the squad. And whatever happens, what Gallardo is looking for is for the team to show its face and play a serious and dignified game in San Pablo, regardless of how the series ends. It is that if there is something that the
Doll
does not negotiate, it is that he lacks attitude and commitment.