2023-07-16 07:42:58
If eight months ago the departure of Marcelo Gallardo sowed uncertainty regarding the future, what came following brought a peace of mind that no one would have dared to predict: the path of Martín Demichelis’s team towards this first title of his coaching career is very similar to The perfection.
River wins, it fills the Monumental every time it plays and its people celebrate. For this reason, this Professional League that he has just conquered has a special component: following Gallardo there was not a vacuum, but rather a confirmation. Demichelis’s team –with Enzo Pérez as captain and symbol– led the tournament from start to finish. Already in the middle, there were few people who thought of a different ending to the one that was finished last night, with a football exhibition once morest Estudiantes in a festive Monumental. On that path there were milestones. Hinge moments where theses and strategies were changed or validated. These are just a few.
Lose and learn. Demichelis’s River was still in a state of formation when on the fifth date he received his first blow at home, once morest an Arsenal that was – and is – at the bottom of the table. The defeat hurt because of the defensive errors and because it envisioned a difficult reversal for Demichelis, who had not yet been able to print his identity to the team.
Pressure. The days following the loss once morest Arsenal were difficult. Demichelis acknowledged this in an interview he gave to the newspaper La Nación this week: “There was a lot of self-criticism and a lot of analysis towards everyone. We went and lost the first two games on the road in the Libertadores, with The Strongest in La Paz and with Fluminense in Rio, and somehow following those losses we became stronger. Because following that we had to show our faces and show personality to win, and we did, like the tremendous challenge that going to Lanús meant”. The 1-0 once morest Garnet in the South meant that: getting out of the labyrinth following the loss once morest Arsenal and the defeats for the Cup and starting a streak that was key to winning the title: the Millionaire accumulated eight consecutive victories from the one obtained in Lanús.
Premium version. Date 13, once morest Independiente, may be the most remembered in terms of the level of play exhibited by the team. It was, literally, a dance, an irrefutable verification of the distance that existed between one and the other. Something that worsened because in front was Independiente. It was also the first game where people noticed that Demichelis had passed the test. There was a concept, a style that was beginning to be seen with some clarity, and the best interpreters were already emerging: Barco, who scored a great goal; Aliendro, the engine in the middle; and Beltrán, key for the offensive presence and the brand.
Classic. The match with Boca was spicy. It almost ended in a pitched battle, and perhaps that’s why River fans enjoyed it more. The penalty on the hour, Borja’s conversion in the third minute of discount and the deepening asymmetry in the tournament mattered more than the level of play. They say that the classics are not played: they are won. And Demichelis’s River won it.
bank. The one from Vélez may be an antihito. Because it was a draw, a mundane game that didn’t change the future of the team too much in the standings. A forgettable Monday night. But there was a reason that gave it importance: Armani’s mistake with which Vélez tied it on the hour. After that, when the media and some fans were wondering if the goalkeeper was ready to continue as a starter, Demichelis bankrolled him. And banking him had his reward.
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