The match-up between River Plate and Vélez, it was remarked by Olé before Sunday evening’s match, has become something of a mini-clásico, with Vélez having proved themselves as one of the best sides of the last few seasons and players such as Víctor Zapata returning to his former club. In the event, it was a performance worthy of a clásico which might just – if they can keep it up – kick-start River’s championship campaign. Vélez are a very decent side, but they were simply demolished in El Monumental.
River’s slow start to the season – not to mention all the off-the-pitch fuss that had accompanied it – hadn’t allowed the fans much hope of ending their trophyless run, which now stretches to over three years (their last title of any note was the 2004 Clausura). Against Vélez they can’t have been too optimistic of anything but, at best, a closely fought victory. But what they got was a masterclass, Fernando Belluschi shining and claiming a hat trick (although one went down officially as a Sebastián Peratta own goal) in a 5-0 win.
The match started with both sides throwing all they could towards the opposition goals, playing at high speed, as the midfield turned into more of a transit zone which attacks had to travel through than an area of the pitch in its own right. After an early chance for Vélez, though, it was River who started to play the higher quality football, Sixto Peralta impressing having been called up to replace the injured Ariel Ortega.
It was another replacement who opened the scoring. After Paulo Ferrari had been brought down following an upfield raid from the ever-dangerous right back, Belluschi hit a short free kick which Andrés Ríos – the youngster in for Radamel Falcao García, who’s on international duty with Colombia – to meet with a blistering drive into the net. River continued to dominate and when Belluschi hit a fulminating left-footer from 25 yards out on the stroke of half time, it was simply a sign of things to come after the break.
In the second half, Vélez had only one attempt on goal, and that came from a free kick. Juan Antonio, the young River forward on for Marco Rubén six minutes before the break, ran the visiting defence ragged and when Belluschi grabbed a second the question was clearly a matter of how many goals River would win by, and not whether they’d hang on.
Augusto Fernández made it 4-0 with just over twenty minutes remaining, yet another superb left-footed strike to go alongside the others which had adorned the match, and another magnificent hit, again from Belluschi, put the icing on the cake with eight minutes of the ninety left. Both sides finished the match on twelve points, but the hosts had every reason to be far more optimistic about what remains of the championship.
And that’s not the only good news to come from Núñez. No fewer than one hundred of River’s barras were detained prior to the match, after a clash between the two warring factions of Los Borrachas del Tablón had looked imminent, and the police – get this, in Argentina! – stepped in pre-eminently to prevent it. Among the hundred taken in was a certain Señor Adrián Rousseau. A superb performance and hefty win for River, or Argentine security authorities doing their job properly – I’m not sure what would have seemed less likely before the match. But no right-thinking River fan will be complaining tonight, surely.
Photo nicked from ole.clarin.com
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Absolutely cracking game from River. Belluschi was back to his magical best, and all five goals were classy. Credit to Juan Ojeda too for a brilliant save in the opening minutes, when a goal conceded might have changed the mood dramatically.
I really like when the Man with the Moustache comes to the Monumental. :)
Just wanted to echo what justin said. A fantastic performance with five fantastic goals, and to top it off a fantastic atmosphere, Even before the goals started going in the place felt lighter in the welcome absence of the trouble makers.
Who says you need drums, big flags and knife attacks to have a good time.