Legends faceoff: Chori and Ortega fire River to victory over Barcelona

  • Share

On a historic afternoon at the Mâs Monumental, the legends of River Plate and Barcelona faced each other for the first time, in a memorable event that gave fans the chance to once again see idols like Ariel Ortega, Fernando Cavenaghi, Chori Domínguez, Leonardo Ponzio, Marcelo Barovero, and Rodrigo Mora wearing the iconic River jersey. The event also featured River legend Beto Alonso, who had the honor of kicking off the game.

River dominated the first half, with Cavenaghi threatening early and Chori Domínguez opening the scoring after pouncing on a poor clearance from the Catalan defense. Barcelona, meanwhile, fielded a lineup full of legendary names, including Juan Pablo Sorin, Frank and Ronald de Boer, Phillip Cocu, Gaizka Mendieta, and Sergi.

In the second half, Cavenaghi had another clear chance after a good individual move, but Vítor Baía denied him with a solid save. Barcelona nearly equalized with a header, only to be stopped by a brilliant save from Barovero. With 15 minutes left, a foul on Esteban Fuertes gave River a penalty, and Ariel “El Burrito” Ortega stepped up to convert it, sealing a 2-0 win and wrapping up a joyful day filled with football and cherished reunions.