Not that I like to think of myself as a prophet in footballing matters, you understand, but I did mention how much better River Plate have been at home than away from home, didn’t I? 2-1 down on goals and 2-1 up on red cards with a little over quarter of an hour remaining, River looked down and out of the Copa. And then came the finale.
First, Radamel Falcao García doubled his personal tally for the night in the 73rd minute. Next, Andrés Ríos, who’s been in the first-team squad a matter of weeks and had never scored for River before, levelled on aggregate with twelve minutes left on the clock. But Botafogo were still ahead by virtue of the two away goals they’d bagged earlier in the match. The solution? Why, Falcao of course, who completed his hat trick to make it 4-2 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate a minute into stoppage time. Cue utter madness in the stands.
River’s curse – brilliant at home, dreadful away – just won’t leave them in peace this season. It won’t win them the league, but if they can demolish teams late on like this in every home match, who’d bet against them for the Sudamericana?
River Plate 4 – 2 Botafogo
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Holy heart-stopper, Batman … what a finish to that match! I was literally on the edge of my chair, literally biting my nails (spitting out flakes of nail polish … ick). I’d thought that second red card was the end, but, instead, it was more like poking at a wasp’s nest: it just makes the wasps stinging mad.
Un-be-lievable.
After the second Botafogo goal and Lussenhoff’s red card (and what a horrible performance he turned in all night), I thought it was over and done with. Incredible comeback, and what a fantastic winning goal by Falcao, who timed his leap perfectly.