River
already has everything ready for a new debut in the
Copa Libertadores
.
It will be before
The Strongest
, in La Paz, where he will arrive this Tuesday after having spent Monday night in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, with the aim of spending as few hours as possible at 3,600 meters above sea level. .
And it will be with
a large squad with varied resources, whose list in good faith includes many youth players
.
The idea of
Martín Demichelis
is to deepen the integral project of Inferiors that
Marcelo Gallardo
started .
Since his arrival,
Micho
pays a lot of attention to youngsters and the fact of including 10 Inferior footballers to reach 40 players on the Cup roster (Conmebol allowed up to 50) shows it.
From guys like
Franco Alfonso
who recently joined the First Division squad, to those who had their first friendly a little over a week ago, and
others who didn't even play a game with the main team.
Unlike what Gallardo had scored at the time, when Conmebol had extended the quotas,
Demichelis decided to use more places to expand the list
.
"I'm not going to create a false illusion for the players who are youth players and who are joining the Reserve, they still have quite an important journey and today they are not ready to join a list of a competition as prestigious as the Libertadores," he had explained
. the
Doll
in 2020, after the resumption of the Cup that year after the quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Marcelo Gallardo, in his time as manager of River Plate.
Photo: EFE
Of course,
the context was different
.
"I work with a professional group of no more than 30 players. And the chances that Conmebol gave us of adding ten more places seemed absurd to me. First, because I don't have more than 30 players working with me; second, because the youth players who joined They started training a week ago and I wasn't going to give them a false illusion because they still haven't made a list for such an important and prestigious competition. And third, because I'm not going to put them in. And if at some point there is an episode that indicates that we are exposed to a massive contagion, it will be because we do not have to play"
, the former River coach abounded.
And that happened to him but at the local level when there was a massive contagion in the run-up to the duel against Boca for the quarterfinals of the 2021 League Cup.
In any case, Gallardo's idea was always to put on the list those youth players who already had the right oven blow to not only train and play with the First Division, but also face Copa Libertadores matches.
As he did with
Julián Álvarez
,
Enzo Fernández
,
Gonzalo Montiel
,
Exequiel Palacios
and other rough diamonds that he gradually polished.
Demichelis, on the other hand, has already given that pleasure to kids who have just appeared.
But not only to generate enthusiasm and greater commitment, but because
he believes that they are in a position to integrate the payroll.
River Plate's coach, Martín Demichelis.
Photo: EFE
The kids that Demichelis included in the Copa Libertadores list
One of the youth players is
Franco Alfonso
, who has been a member of the Primera squad since the last preseason.
He is an offensive midfielder, category 2002. The only one of the nominees who already accumulates experience with the majors.
He is noted for his speed in the vertical sprint and his ease in one on one.
He made his debut on January 28 and has already played five official matches.
River shielded him until 2025 with a clause of 25 million euros.
Another is
Matías Gallardo
, one of the doll's children.
He is an offensive midfielder, category 2003. And of Marcelo's heirs, he is the most similar to his father: he plays in the same position -hook- although with the particularity that he is left-handed.
He was promoted to Reserve in 2022. He is smart on the ball and has a lot of sacrifice.
He even usually steps in the area.
He had his informal debut with Demichelis: he sent him to the field against the U of Chile to play 27 minutes.
Matías Gallardo, son of "Muñeco", made his debut in the Primera de River, in the friendly against Universidad de Chile in Salta.
There is
Ulises Giménez
, defender, category 2006. Member of the Sub-17 Selection of Diego Placente.
He was champion with the Seventh, quickly made the leap to Reserve -where he was anointed captain- and is one of the bets of the coaching staff.
He can play as a winger or as a central marker, where he now stands out.
He is strong one-on-one, has good technique, time management and an interesting passing game.
Another player that generates expectation is
Esteban Fernández
, offensive midfielder, category 2002. He started as a player although he also tends to move as an insider.
He has been with the club since 2010, when he joined the Infantiles.
He already had experience in the AFA Youth, where he was coached by Pablo Aimar in the Sub-15.
He stands out for his midrange punch, which he honed by working on after training.
Demichelis took him to Salta, where he entered 25 minutes against the U in his informal presentation.
Sebastián Sánchez
is a central midfielder, category 2002. He is a pivot with a good game and intense at the time of scratching and removing, he is a starter in Reserve.
Demichelis summoned him to play the friendly against the U of Chile and of the youth teams led by the coach, he was the one who played the most (45 minutes).
Daniel Zabala
is a center marker, category 2003. He was promoted to Reserve after his good level in Quinta and came to have practices completing work with Primera in the Gallardo cycle.
Demichelis took him to Salta to play against the U of Chile: he played 15 minutes against the trans-Andean team.
He was born in William Morris and in 2016 he was left after taking a test in Hurlingham: he was the only one to be signed out of the 100 tested.
He is a technician, he likes to go out playing and break lines by going on the attack, although this does not take away from his solidity in the brand.
Joaquín Flores
is a forward, category 2005. He is from Tucumán and plays as a winger although he can also play as a striker.
Demichelis took him to Salta and put him ten minutes against the U of Chile.
He moved up to Reserve in 2022, where he currently stands out.
He has been in River since he was nine years old.
Lucas Lavagnino
is the goalkeeper of the River Reserve.
It is category 2004, it measures 1.90 meter.
He joined the Primera group to travel to the preseason in San Luis and, later, to the United States.
As a boy he played 9 and was a scorer at Club Leloir de San Miguel.
He came to River after not having opportunities in the Argentinean Inferior Leagues.
He signed a contract until 2025.
Santiago Beltrán
is a goalkeeper, category 2004. He measures 1.89 meters.
He played amateur championships with the Pueyrredón Club until he was 17 years old (until he was 12, as a striker; later he occupied the goal).
He tested himself in the River at the age of Quinta and stayed.
He has no blood relationship with Lucas Beltrán.
Training for the National Team finished and Diablito Echeverri uploaded a photo to Instagram with his idol, Lionel Messi.
And the icing on the cake on the list is the appearance of
Claudio Echeverri
.
He is an offensive midfielder, category 2006. He measures 170 centimeters.
He is nicknamed "El Diablito" and he is one of the great promises of the River youth academy.
The player of the future.
He is the figure of the Sub-17, where he wears the 10 shirt and is playing the South American of that category in Ecuador.
This year he was promoted to Reserve directly from Seventh.
Since he was very young, he has been followed by European clubs.
In the Venice Cup, at just 11 years old, he scored four goals for Juventus.
He is from Chaco, he has his family in Resistencia and
in January he was shielded with a clause of 25 million euros.
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