Piscu seals River win in action-packed Superclásico
Felipe A solitary goal from Leonardo Pisculichi was enough for River Plate to claim a hard-fought Superclásico victory over eternal rivals Boca Juniors, as the Millionaires took a 1-0 win that secured their passage into the final of the South American Cup.
Having suffered a serious blow to their title challenge on Sunday with defeat against Racing, River needed a positive result to put their double dreams back on track. Boca, meanwhile, saw their own Transitional chances go up in smoke with that result, and after drawing the first leg 0-0 with the Millionaires in the Bombonera were left with only the Cup as their only realistic opportunity for silverware in 2014.
An electric reception for the home team in a packed Monumental, complete with smoke bombs, fireworks and deafening support from the Millionaire faithful, seemed to set the tone as the game started in unbelievable fashion. With just 20 seconds on the clock referee Germán Delfino had already pointed to the spot, awarding Boca a penalty to the disgust of the home players.
Ariel Rojas’ clumsy kick on César Meli as the midfielder tried to clear a loose ball in the area prompted the early penalty, with Marcelo Barovero squaring up in goal against Emanuel Gigliotti. The keeper guessed the right way, and managed to palm away the Boca striker’s fairly tame effort to keep scores level early on.
Barovero seemed destined for a busy night between the posts. Just minutes later the ex-Vélez Sarsfield man had to intervene again in an accomplished double save. The player perhaps could have done more to hold a speculative long effort from Federico Carrizo, but after spilling the ball at Gigliotti’s feet he more than redeemed himself in keeping out the burly No. 9 for a second time in less than 15 minutes.
Having withstood that early barrage, River were still kicking and looking to take the advantage. Marcelo Gallardo’s men did exactly that, scoring with their first meaningful approach on goal.
After a messy incursion into the Boca area, the ball eventually landed at Leonel Vangioni’s feet out on the left. The full-back released a low cross into the danger zone, and it was met brilliantly by Leonardo Pisculichi who fired past the stranded Agustín Orión to give River the lead. The attacking midfielder then lit up the Monumental with a touching gesture, going straight to the River bench in order to embrace Gallardo, finally able to celebrate after the agony of losing his mother to cancer earlier in the week.
The Xeneize kept pushing after that hammer blow, looking to use their physicality to impose themselves on a River side happier to sit back and wait for counter opportunities. The Millionaires had to ride their luck, however. Gigliotti finally had the ball in the net 30 minutes in after a deflected cross was launched back in the area, but the offside flag ruled his effort out. The decision had appeared clear at first glance, and Gigliotti did not protest even though the gap between he and the last defender was actually marginal.
Boca chances were further hit by an injury to midfielder Fernando Gago, who was forced off towards the end of the first 45 minutes after repeated hits in what was once more a tough game of football.
Jonathan Calleri was also unlucky to send a Meli cross inches over the bar, while at the other end Teófilo Gutiérrez sent a warning that River were still active by forcing Orión to react to his own header before Delfino blew for half-time.
After the break, it was the hosts that squandered a golden chance to extend the lead. Carlos Sánchez had done everything right in breaking down the right, and his teasing cross managed to elude the entire Boca defence. Teo appeared to have the goal at his mercy, but the ball got stuck under the Colombian international’s feet and the Xeneize were able to clear.
The striker had another chance 20 minutes into the half when he broke away on the right, with Orión saving well from an off-balance shot. But Boca appeared to be fading out of the match, unable to keep up the same intensity against a more confident, dynamic River pushing Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s men back into their own half.
In what appeared the last throw of the dice striker Andrés Chávez was thrown into the game by ‘El Vasco’, having been relegated to the bench due to fitness worries. But it was to no avail; River continued to shut their great rivals down effectively while threatening enough on the counter that Boca could not throw everything into attack. A vicious kick from Daniel Díaz on Teo earned the Xeneize captain a deserved red card in injury time, a final sour note as River’s fans celebrated victory against their arch-rivals.
River move on to face Colombians Atlético Nacional in the final of the South American Cup, after the Medellín team defeated Sao Paulo on penalties in Wednesday evening’s other last-four meeting.
buenosairesherald.com
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