One of the greatest club

Yestarday it was the Taylors Swift show, at the stadium of The club River Plate, the “Más Monumental”. And about this club, it’s what i’m going to talk about. 

The River Plate Athletic Club (CARP in Spanish) it was founded on May 25 of 1901, on Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, from the fusion of two clubs; Santa Rosa’s club y La Rosales’s club, two teams from the “La Boca” neighborhood, that had mantenied a friendly rivalry. After some proposals, they agree to named the new club, “River Plate”. The name comes from the old name given from the British to the “Río de La Plata”. That same day, they singed the founding document and Leopoldo Bard was elected as the first president as well as the first captain of the team. One year later after the foundation, specificly the 28th of Noviembre of 1902, and in the same neighborhood, was born Antonio Vespucio Liberti an incredibly important manager nationalized Argentina. He presided over the club on four occasions, what transform him into the president who has been un charge of River the most times, spending more than 20 years, no consecutive. 

The first stadium that the club had, was located on the east side of the Dardasena Sud of the port of Buenos Aires, behind the Wilson’ coils. There, River started his amateur campeing, playing matches against neighborhood clubs or from near zones. Then, the club moved to Sarandí in Avellaneda, during a short times, to later returned to “la Boca”.

The 7th of May, they achieved their first victory against “General Belgrano” “A”. The match finished 4 to 3 in favour of River Plate. The next year, River joined the second division, playing for the promotion to the first division of the argentine football against Racing Club, the 13th of December of 1908. River won the match 2 to 1, however, this one was declared null due to River supporters jumping onto the field after the second goal to celebrate with the players, so a new match had to be played. This time River won 7 to 0 and achieved promotion to first division. In his premiere here, River achieved an honorable second place, behind the multiple champion Alumni Athletic Club and the recongnised of the public, passing from the 40 partners before the promotion to over 1000 partners on his first year on the most important cathegory of the argentine football. 

In addition River, another club was on the neighborhood La Boca; The Boca Jr Athletic Club. Both teams acknowledge theur Genoese heritage and both teams found on each other a classic rival. Whereas the time passed, the rivality became bigger and bigger until achieved the cathegory of “Superclásico del futbol argentino”. The beginning of this one started the 24th of Augost of 1913, on the tournament of the first division. The match was playing on Racing’s stadium and it finished with the won of River 2 to 1, with the goals of Cándido García and Antonio Ameal Pereyra. 

In 1914 River achieved his first trophies; The “Copa Competencia Jockey Club”, an official competition between 1907 to 1933, beating Newels 4 to 0 in the finals. Thanks to this winning, River could played the “Cup Tie Competition”, in which it won against “Bristol”, from Uruguay, 1 to 0. Although, River Couldn’t won his first ligue until 1920, where, after a huge sacrifice and perseverance, they won in the last game of the tournament, against Quilmes by 2 to 0. 

After the Argentine football became professional on 1931, River buys, for the extremely high Price of 10.000 pesos, the “puntero derecho” Carlos Peucelle. One year later, on 1935, River buys the striker, Bernabé Ferreyra, the only argentine football player who score more goals than matches played, moreover considered as the first idol the club, for 35.000 pesos! More than three times Carlos Peucelle. Because of this and many others transactions, River earned the nickname of “Millonario”, for also been the only team in Sudamerica on the football history, to make the most expensive signing in the world at that moment.

The period of time between 1940 y 1950, is considered the best moment of the argentine football and River was the Main character during that time, with one of his most famous team's; "La Máquina". This team was the consecuence of a really intense work on the school of the team started on the last decade, in adition with the continuity of former players of the club, with the same vision yo play football, in charge of the technical direction.

After a non prominence 1940, River, would reinvent itself, with a new brand récord of matches without lose, becoming the new champion on 1941. That same year, River also won the "Copa Ibarguren",the "Copa Escobar" and the "Copa Aldao", winning all the national trophies and international trophies River could play.

After the debut of Félix Loutau on 1942, it started to form the frontline Made byJuan Carlos Muñoz, José Manuel Moreno, Adolfo Pedernera, the greatest Idol of the institution and one of the Best argentine football player of all time, Angel Labruna and Féliz, who is the top scorer player in the historia of River Plate with a total of 317 oficial goals, he also is the the top scorer player on the "Superclasicos" with 16 goals, and Loutau itself.   This year they won three trophies including the "Copa Ibarguren". 

Between 1941 to 1949, River finished third only one time. This demostrate the level of the club that years. On 1947, without "La Máquina" and with José María Minella as the Dt, River form another amazing frontline, called "La Electrica". This frontline was Made by Reyes, Moreno, Di Stefano, Labruna and Loutau.

The influence of River during this period of time has been extended to the National football team. Argentina had absolute supremacy in continental football. He played in five Copa América, winning four in 1941, 1945, 1946 and 1947 and being runner-up for Uruguay in 1942. The majority of the millionaire team participated in those teams, in addition to all of their forwards, Norberto Yácono, Néstor Rossi, Bruno also played in the national team. Rodolfi and José Ramos, among others. 

On 1986 River achieve one of his most important trophies; his first "Libertadores" the greatest competition in the continent. In the first phase of the tournament, River won against Boca, his eternal rival and the uruguayan team Peñarol. On the semifinal group River deafeted Argentinos junior (the defender champion) and Barcelona de Guayaquil. The last rival to achieve their goal, was América de Cali from Colombia. On October 22, River won the first final 2:1, with goals from Alonso and Funes, being the first foreign team to emerge victorious from the Pascual Guerrero Stadium in seven years. A week later, and again with a goal from Funes, River won 1:0. In this way he became "American Champion" for the first time in his history, fulfilling his wish and giving revenge to the finals of 1966 and 1976.

After Golden years between 1986 to 2005, River started his darkest periodo n his entire history. Bad seasons and completly bad Dt and presidents, produces that on the “clausura” of 2011 River finished 9th and 17th on the table of averages. This forced him to play a promotion match with Belgrano de Cordoba, to scape from the relegation. The first match took place at Julio César Vilagra, the Belgrano’s stadium. This match ended with the victory of Belgrano 2 to 1. The 26 of june of that year, took place the second match, at the Monumental. The match finished in a tie 1 to 1, so the historic argentine team couldn´t scaped from his destiny, and finally was downgraded to the second divition of the argentine football. 

River cameback to the first divition on 2012 after beating Almirante Brown, 2 to 0. From this time to nowadays, River started another Golden period, in which he dominants national and international competitions. This amazing years were thanks to Marcelo Gallardo, a much lover form player and emblem of the institution. This new era, started with the conquest of the “Copa Sudamericana”, the second most important title in Sud America, beating Atlético Nacional at the final, with a global of 3 to 1. In this same tournamet, River eliminated Boca Junior at the semifinals, with the historic sabe of Barovero (River’s goalkeeper) to Gigliotti (Boca’s striker) and the goal of high quality of Pisculichi. That same year, River won the Recopa, the Suruga Bank Cup and his third Libertadores, against Tigre, from Mexico. This match ended 3 to 0. Another important or we can say, the most important title of his entire history was the Libertadores of 2018. In this cup, River eliminated three of the greatest teams in America, such as Racing, the leader of the national league, Independiente, the reigning champion of the Copa Sudamericana and Gremio de Porto Alegre, the actual and reigning champion of  the Libertadores. At the final, River played against his classic, Boca Junior, in an unforgettable and legendary final. It was the firsst time two rivals of Argentina played a Libertadores final and it was between the two biggest teams in Argentina and the continent. The first match was played at the Bombonera, the 12th of November of 2018. It ended with a tie, 2 to 2. On November 2, the second match was supposed to be played, but was finally suspended after some River’s fan threw stones to the micro which transport the Boca’s players. Because of this, the Conmebol decided to moved the match to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, in Madrid. The match took place the 9th of December and finished with the incredibly victory of River, 3 to 1 against his greatest rival Boca, the most important and history final of the Conmebol Libertadores. 

The next year, River, with Gallardo achieved another final of the Libertadores, but this time another was his lucky losing with Flamengo in the last 5 minutes. Since then, River didn’t have another outstanding participation in the Conmebol Libertadores, except for his match against Palmeiras. 

Nowadays, Marcelo Gallardo, moreover another idols have left the club, so the institution has had to rebuild with Demichelis as the coach and Jorge Pablo Brito as the President.

Franco Santini