Ariel Ortega

The rumours of Ariel Ortega's move to Mexican Atlas, remained only rumours. That was announced by River Plate's vice-president, Domingo Diaz.

River Plate in Ecuador

Given the growing number of football talents, produced in Ecuador, River Plate decided to open a perminent representation in Guayaquil. Let's recall that one of South America's best young payers, Alberto Valencia was very close to signing with "millionarios" a couple of years ago.

Transfers: Augusto Fernandez & Omar Bravo

River Plate's playmaker Augusto Fernandez and forward of Chivas and Mexican national team Omar Bravo are regarded as possible reinforcements by the chiefs of Spanish Deportivo. It was announced by the coach of the club from A Coruña, Miguel Angel Lotina.

Superclasico

River Plate: Juan Pablo Carrizo - Paulo Ferrari, Nicolas Sanchez, Eduardo Tuzzio - Leonardo Ponzio, Oscar Ahumada, Fernando Belluschi, Augusto Fernandez (Matias Abelairas), Ariel Ortega (Andres Rios), Diego Buonanotte (Mauro Rosales) - Radamel Falcao Garcia

Boca Juniors: Mauricio Caranta - Hugo Ibarra, Gabriel Paletta, Jonathan Maidana, Claudio Morel Rodriguez - Ever Banega, Pablo Ledesma, Neri Cardozo, Leandro Gracian (Sebastian Battaglia) - Martin Palermo, Rodrigo Palacio (Alvaro Gonzalez)

Goals: Radamel Falcao Garica, Ariel Ortega (pen.)

At the end of the first half Even Banega was sent off.

Superclasico turned out to be interesting only in the first half, where all the events took place. Garcia scored a golazo after a great assist of Belluschi. Then Ortega twice shot from the penalty spot, after Caranta moved before Ortega touched the ball. Young Buonanotte who is rapidly becoming a star before our eyes, dribbled a lot, very fancily and very effectively. That was him who was marked illegally by Paletta and earned the penalty. What put an end to the game still in the first half was sending off Boca's best player as of now, Ever Banega, who received his second yellow card.
Boca's loss was stipulated by the absense of activity and constructivism in the midfield. Neither Gracian, nor Cardozo, nor Ledesma managed to fulfill playmaking functions, hence the superpair of forwards ran idle for most of time. While Passarella this time cleverly decided not to make stupid things, and as a result enjoyed a great win. It's hard to believe that with such a bright squad River is in the misddle of the table with half of the points lost.

Dario Conca

Argentinean Dario Conca, who has become a genuine star of Brazilian Vasco da Gama, is very likely to prolong his contract with Cruzmaltino for another season. The proprietors of his pass, heads of River Plate, are interested in that too, since the value of one of the best Brasilerao's playmakers is rapidly increasing.

River Plate

Similar search of a new coach has been carried out in River Plate too, although not so officially. There has been a rumour that Diego Simeone has been contacted, despite that president Aguilar refused to confirm it. Although the inadequacy of Passarella is clear, Simeone is hardly a right candidate. When his Estudiantes won the title, it was prepared by Merlo, while Simeone showed his low competence this year, after three main players of La Plata club left the team.

Injuries: Alexis Sanchez

In a match of Argentinean Apertura against Tigre River Plate's yuong star Alexis Sanchez was attacked by defenseman Juan Carlos Blengio which resulted in torn ligaments. That means that next three months the hope of River and Chilean national team will have to spend without football.

Alexis Sanchez

The chiefs of River Plate were so impressed with the bright start in their team of young Chilean Alexis Sanchez, that they are doing their best now to keep him at least till 2009. Sanchez is still only 18.

Transfers: Rodrigo Archubi

Greek champion Olimpiakos was persistent and robbed in front of River Plate of ex-Lanus' Rodrigo Archubi. Argentinean will join at Olimpiakos three his other compatriots signed this summer - Lionel Nunez, Cristian Ledesma and Luciano Galletti.

Transfers: River Plate

Besiktas did not waste time after Kleberson's departure and immediatley bought in River Plate for 1.650.000 euros an elder brother of Gonzalo Higuain - Federico. In its turn, Olimpiakos has wanted very much River's newest acquisition - Rodrigo Archubi, but that proposal was rejected.

River Plate

Have a look at the players, who have gone through River Plate in last decade. The loudest transfers are mentioned too.

Keepers:
BONANO Roberto, Barcelona
BULJUBASICH Jose
BURGOS German
CARRIZO Juan Pablo, Lazio
COMIZZO Angel
COSTANZO Franco
IRIGOYTIA Joaquin
LEYENDA Bernardo
LUX German, Mallorca
OJEDA Juan
OLAVE Juan Carlos
SACCONE Alejandro
SALA Dario
SESSA Gaston
VILLA Adrian

Defense:
ACOSTA Norberto
ALTAMIRANO Ricardo
ALVAREZ VALENZUELA Cristian (Chile)
AMELI Horacio
AYALA Celso (Paraguay), Sao Paulo
AYALA Roberto, Milan , Valencia
BARZOLA Pablo
BERIZZO Eduardo, Celta
CACERES Julio Cesar (Paraguay)
CROSA Fernando
DEL CAMPO Martin (Uruguay)
DEMICHELIS Martin, Bayern
DIAZ Hernan
DIOGO Carlos (Uruguay), Real Madrid
DOMINGUEZ Federico
ESCALONA Alejandro (Chile)
FERNANDEZ Juan
FERNANDEZ Leandro
FERRARI Paulo
FRANCO Ariel
GAMBOA Fernando
GARCE Ariel
GERLO Danilo
GONZALEZ Jersson (Colombia)
LAVALLEN Pablo
LERMEE Eduardo
LOESCHBOR Gabriel
LOMBARDI Gustavo
LUCAS Maximo (Uruguay)
LUSSENHOFF Federico
MARTINEZ Emanuel
MARTINEZ Jorge
MIRANDA Franco
MORELLO Norberto
MUSACCHIO Mateo
NASSUTI Cristian
OLIVA Maximiliano
PAZ Jose
PELLEGRINO Diego
PENA Sebastian
PLACENTE Diego, Bayer Leverkusen
RAMOS GIRO Leonardo (Uruguay)
RIVAS LOPEZ Nelson (Colombia), Inter
ROJAS Ricardo
SAN ROMAN Jose Ignacio
SANCHEZ Lucas
SARABIA Pedro (Paraguay)
SORIN Juan Pablo, Lazio, Barcelona ,PSG
SPINELLI Fernando
TORRES MOZZONI Juan
TROTTA Roberto
TULA Cristian, San Lorenzo
TUZZIO Eduardo
VILARIÑO Rodrigo
VILLAGRA Cristian
VILLALBA Hector Facundo
VILLALBA Ricardo
VIVAS Nelson
YEPES Mario (Colombia), Nantes

Midfield:
ABELAIRAS Matias
AHUMADA Oscar, Wolfsburg
AIMAR Andres
AIMAR Pablo, Valencia
ALMEYDA Matias, Parma, Lazio, Inter
ALVAREZ Damian
ASENCIO Hugo
ASTRADA Leonardo, Gremio
BARRADO Diego
BAZAN Oscar
BELLUSCHI Fernando
BERTI Sergio
BORELLI Juan Jose, Panathinaikos
BURZAC Raul
CAMBIASSO Esteban, Real
COCHAS Diego
COUDET Eduardo, Celta
D’ALESSANDRO Andres, Wolfsburg
DIAZ Ramon
DOMINGO Nicolas
DOPASSO Franco
ESCUDERO Marcelo
FAURLIN Alejandro
FERNANDEZ Augusto
FERREYRA Osmar, CSKA, Eindhoven
FIGUEROA Dario
FONTANA Patricio
FRANCESCOLI Enzo (Uruguay)
FRONTINI Pablo
GALLARDO Marcelo, Monaco, PSG
GALVAN Diego
GANCEDO Leonel, Osasuna
GANDOLFI Javier
GOMEZ Marcelo
GONZALEZ Lucho
HUSAIN Claudio
LEDESMA Cristian
LEQUI Matias, Atletico
LIMA Rene
LUDUEÑA Daniel, Santos Laguna
MAREQUE Lucas, Porto
MARTINEZ Juan
MARTINEZ MONTAGNOLI Facundo
MASCHERANO Javier, Corinthians, West Ham, Liverpool
MENDEZ Jesus David
MENSEGUEZ Juan Carlos, Wolfsburgo
MONSERRAT Roberto
MONTENEGRO Daniel, Independiente
NETTO Carlos
ORTEGA Ariel, Sampdoria, Parma, Fenerbahce
OYOLA Matias
PATIÑO Jairo (Colombia)
PERREYRA Gabriel
PERREYRA Guillermo, Mallorca
PONZIO Leonardo
RAPONI Juan
RICHETTI Pablo
RIVAROLA Guillermo
ROMERO Adrian
SAMBUEZA Rubens
SAN MARTIN Andres
SANTANA GHERE Jonatan (Paraguay)
SOLARI Santiago, Atletico, Real, Inter
SOSA Marcelo (Uruguay)
TALAMONTI Leonardo
TOJA VEGA Juan Carlos (Colombia)
TORANZO Patricio
TORRES Juan
VIRVIESKAS Kilian (Colombia)
ZAPATA Victor

Forwards:
ABAN Gonzalo
ALMENARES Federico
AMATO Gabriel, Betis
ANGEL Juan Pablo (Colombia), Aston Villa
ANTONIO Juan Ignacio
BATISTUTA Gabriel, Fiorentina, Roma, Inter
BUONANOTTE RENDE Diego
CARDETTI Martin, PSG
CASTILLO Cristian
CAVENAGHI Fernando, Spartak, Bordeaux
CHACANA Carlos
CRESPO Hernan, Parma, Lazio, Chelsea
CRUZ Julio Ricardo, Eindhoven, Bologna, Inter
CUEVAS Nelson (Paraguay)
DEL BONO Gonzalo
DOMINGUEZ Chori, Rubin, Zenit
ESNAIDER Juan
FARIAS Ernesto, Porto
FERNANDEZ Gaston
FIGUEROA Luciano
FONSECA Daniel (Uruguay)
FUERTES Esteban
GARCIA ZARATE Radamel Falcao (Colombia)
HIGUAIN Federico
HIGUAIN Gonzalo, Real Madrid
HUSAIN Dario
LEGUIZAMON Luciano
LOPEZ Maxi, Barcelona
LUDUEÑA Gonzalo
MALLEA Enrique
MEDINA BELLO Ramon
MORALES NEUMANN Jeronimo
OBERMAN Gustavo
PIZZI Juan Antonio
PUSINERI Lucas
RAMBERT Sebastian
RIOS Andres
ROSALES Mauro
ROSSI Julio, Basel
RUBEN Marco
SABBAG Pablo
SALAS Marcelo (Chile), Lazio, Juventus
SAND Jose
SAVIOLA Javier, Barcelona
SCIORILLI Sebastian

River Plate

For the second week River fails to start its Apertura campaign. The Ministry of Interior Affairs decided to postpone its match against Newells Old Boys too, being afraid of possible clashes between two fractions of the most bellicose barrabravas' group Los Borrachos del Tablon. The tension reached its peak after the right hand of one fraction's leader, Adrian Rousseau, Gonzalo Acro, aka Gonzalo, was shot dead last week.

Vasco da Gama & Dario Conca

Suddenly the career of Argentinean Dario Conca, who has been forgotten for months on Vasco da Gama's bench, experienced a drastic change. A very talented playmaker recovered after depression and started to play the football, which was so expected from him in Brasil. His success has become so evident, the Vasco got disturbed about his further stay with Cruzmaltino. Conca has been on the loan to Brazilian club from River Plate, where he was raised.

Transfers: Rolando Zárate

River Plate has made a loud signing. The vacancy in attack left by Ernesto Farias's move to Porto is filled now with well-known in Argentina Rolando Zarate, who used to be a solid scorer several years ago at Velez Sarsfield, once pretended even by Real Madrid. Roly, who is the elder brother of Mauro Zarate, spent several last seasons at Mexican Monterrey.

River Plate at Peace Cup

Being a world´s club number one (by various parameters), the Argentinean grandee had no chances to perform well at this tournament. Like Veron represented a delayed-action mine for Argentina at Copa America, Passarella has been an absolutely predictable grave digger for any ambitious plans that Millionarios might have under his rule. With this coach they won’t win anything.

Although, a year ago it started very optimistically. A trio of Belluschi – Ortega – Higuain supported by wonderful defensemen Lussenhoff and Gerlo, was smashing everyone around and was about to bring the title to River easily, if the process of internal decay wasn’t barefacedly initiated by Passarella. For a start he put Ortega, who gained unbelievable pace, on the bench, which resulted in immediate dipsomania of the latter, that hasn’t been releasing Burrito for long since ever. Gallardo, who replaced Ortega, neither obtained a cart-blanche and was feeling clearly uneasy till he decided to spit upon it and return to France. Having destroyed midfield of his own, Passarella focused on defense. The tuned as a clock tandem of central defensemen Lussenhoff – Gerlo was broken up, and straight till the end of Apertura the combination of defensemen had chaotically or, even, hysterically been constantly shuffled, which infected with nervousness the rest of the team. During the intermission another central defenseman, Nelson Rivas from Colombia, was bought for unknown reasons only to take part in stupid Passarella’s experiments. As a result, with wonderful defense experts in his team, the coach did not manage to solve the problems in the most familiar to him part of the field.

Then there was an epopee on the left wing, where Passarella didn’t like one after another Zapata, Fede Dominguez, Sambueza and even marvelous Mareque. The guy he finally chose turned out to be Abelairas, too young, too inexperienced, hence worse, as for now, than any of the abovementioned players.

Right after Nicolas Domingo warmed up enough to produce brilliant games, he was put on the bench too. It would be justified if he gave place to Ahumada. But Ahumada’s substitute now is Rene Lima, who does not impress. Domingo is better than Lima, but Passarella does not see it.

Besides, during Passarella’s governing (although, justice demands to say that it started in Astrada’s times) we began to see too many “unriverish” players in the team, i.e. mediocre players according to Argentinean overall standards, and weak players according to River standards. Santana, Sambueza, Dominguez, Zapata, Lima, Ruben, who still has been failing to explain his sudden appearance in the team, Colombian Garcia Zarate whose inability to play River’s trademark football became especially evident at Peace Cup. Mauro Rosales is a very good player, but not “un millionario”. Leonardo Ponzio seems to have played all his best games at Mundial sub-20 in 2001, and ever since got too infected with “europeism”. And vice versa: ideally “riverish”, extremely intelligent and sophisticated Jairo Patino spent two years in dead reserve. The idling in production of club’s most trademark position – playmaking – is very evident today too. The last genuinely outstanding number 10 was d’Alessandro (Belluschi does not count, he is from Newell's). The only one to pretend to be called another Maradona is probably Augusto Fernandez, but his progress is way too slow.

To conclude, today only three players correspond to the level of great team: Fernando Belluschi, Juan Pablo Carrizo and Oscar Ahumada. Two of them did not play at Peace Cup – Carrizo was sitting on bench in Venezuela (and later sold to Lazio), while Ahumada is recuperating from an injury. That’s’ why what we saw was a great team which a mediocre coach pulled down to its mediocre level. Although Belluschi was great as ever.

Breaking News: Sixto Peralta!

Oriundo from Comodoro Rivadavia, who started his career in Huracan, Sixto Peralta began training in his new club, River Plate. The 28-year midfielder has experience of playing for Argentinean Racing, Italian Inter and Torino, English Ipswich ad Mexican Santos Laguna and Tigres.