EN
ESRiver wins the Champions Trophy! Marcelo Gallardo's team has closed the year with another lap of honor: it beat Colon 4-0 in Santiago del Estero thanks to two goals by Julian Alvarez, one by Benjamin Rollheiser and one by Jorge Carrascal.
2021 ended in the best way possible for River: after becoming the Professional League champion showing great skill and performance, the team displayed its superiority on the playing field at the Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades stadium and lifted the Champions Trophy that was on the line against Colon.
River controlled the first half of the match: having possession of the ball, it tried to prioritize collective plays on the sides. On a run up the field from left to right, Robert Rojas received the ball and struck a shot that bounced off a rival defender. After several shots on goal by el Millonario, Colon attacked through a run up the field by Cristian Ferreira.
Then, River had two clear chances: first, Julian Alvarez set up a good solo play and struck a low left-footed shot that was saved by Leonardo Burian. Off a corner kick from the right, Bruno Zuculini won the header, but his shot went slightly over the crossbar. Five minutes away from the end, Santiago Simon struck a phenomenal cross from the right-hand side and Julian tapped it with his left foot, surprising Burian and celebrating the first goal.
In the starting minutes of the second half, off a rebound during an attacking play, Simon struck the ball in the air aiming his shot at the goal, but it went high. With River dominating the game, Simon set up a play on the right, on the corner of the penalty box: with a feint to the middle, he struck an off-target left-footed shot. El Millonario made the most of another good combination and Julian set the score at 2-0, getting River closer to the title.
Near the end, Benjamin Rollheiser was able to celebrate his first goal: Julian set up a spectacular play, smashing his left-footed shot against one of the posts, and the youth player collected the rebound. In the last play, Jorge Carrascal settled the result with a right-footed shot, confirming the title win. Thus, River finished an unforgettable 2021 and celebrated with the fans in Santiago. In an emotional award ceremony, River’s captain Leonardo Ponzio lifted the cup together with German Lux and Enrique Bologna, starting off the celebration on the playing field.
- Tags
- First Team
