The esplanade of the Hilton hotel in Puerto Madero suddenly transforms into a scene of celebration. It’s already night in Buenos Aires, on a spring Saturday, at the beginning of the flower season, and the River players set up a half round, hugging each other, facing the fans who were on the other side of the fences.
“River, River, I love you, I carry you inside, from my heart…Thank you for that joy of beating Boca…”the players sang to the rhythm of the people. They had just arrived from La Bombonera, where they gave their all to achieve a victory that, according to Marcelo Gallardo, “is very stimulating.”
After the Bombonerazo, after which a River with a majority of substitutes left in crisis Boca and Gallardo once again showed off his fatherhood with Xeneize, which he beat in Núñez, in La Boca, in Mendoza, in Madrid, with starters and now also with substitutes, Núñez’s team has already changed the chip again and again The head is set on the Copa Libertadores.
In truth, at no time was he out of it and that is why the Doll designed a different formation to face the eternal rival, but beyond the names, the message that the coach conveyed during the week was that the attitude and posture in the Bombonera they had to be the same as always and not play the classic as just another game.
Gallardo, as a good connoisseur of the River Plate feeling, He knows what goes through the veins of River fans when Boca is in front. And, also what the post-match can generate, from the result and the performance. “These types of games are very difficult to ignore. Our great objective is set on the Cup, but a classic can never be overlooked, because it leaves consequences. If we had lost, it would have left us with a sequel,” said Gallardo.
That issue was also part of their planning, logically. And that is why he decided to include the freshest starters with good physical performance, such as Fabricio Bustos and Santiago Simón, from the start. And added to Franco Armani, who was going to be on the move, and Paulo Díaz, expelled in Chile, there were already four.
In the week, after the return from Chile, all the players made themselves available and told the Muñeco that they wanted to be in the Bombonera. The only one who was left out of the concentrations that he was against Colo-Colo was Maxi Meza, injured, but he is better now and they are optimistic for the return.
Then, Gallardo, grateful for the commitment of his players, aligned the team based on load management and energy renewal. He gave tools and support to those who had not been playing or were playing little, such as Gattoni, Fonseca and Enzo Díaz, and he opted to touch the internal fibers of González Pirez, Manu Lanzini, Colidio and Bareiro so that they do not lose the chance.
And in the second half, to support the team, he appealed to the experience of Pezzella, Acuña, Nacho Fernández and Borja and the freshness of Mastantuono. And it went as planned. Perhaps the only thing that was changed from the script was to have Pezzella play for a while, but Gattoni had a yellow card from 15 seconds in and was at risk of a red card.
Now, the rematch with Colo-Colo is coming for the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. The battle will be this Tuesday night at the Monumental. For this reason, the celebration of Boca’s victory, which began on the Bombonera playing field, continued in the tunnel and in the visiting locker room, ended at the doors of the Hilton.