During the first half, River nullified Flamengo’s offense through a compact and intense pressing block while also being efficient in scoring one of their few chances. Flamengo made better use of the wings during the second half to overcome an increasingly tired River press but struggled to score, until Gabigol punished two mistakes by River […]

Argentine power houses Boca Juniors and River Plate clashed once again in the second leg of this huge Copa Libertadores semi-final matchup. Boca would need to take control early in their world-famous La Bombonera stadium and grab the goals needed to progress. In the end, Boca proved unable to produce the offensive prowess needed to […]

This match had everything one would expect from an encounter of this magnitude: crunching tackles, a boisterous atmosphere and a red card, as the two inexhaustible opponents went head-to-head in one of the game’s greatest rivalries. However, it was the scintillating play of River’s front four that set the tempo for the match and gave […]

Transparent midfield bases were at the core of both teams’ defensive problems, although neither side could raise any troubling questions with their narrow formations. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter M. Having met merely a week ago in the first leg, many spectators would have been hoping for an alternative score line following last […]

In this match, River Plate were just not able to make their deliveries stick. They controlled the match and found themselves in countless good crossing positions. Up until that point in each attack, they were cantering through Cruzeiro’s defense using expansive wide play, without stinging. Eventually, the visitors’ second half performance seemed to tip the […]

River Plate came back to win the Recopa Sudamericana thanks to a more compact and aggressive pressing game. River heavily dominated both halves, preventing Athletico from coming out of their own half of the pitch and thus outshooting them. After 90 minutes of pressure, Athletico’s defense finally collapsed during injury time. Tactical analysis and match […]

The first tie of the Recopa Sudamericana – the super cup of South America – heavily favored Athletico Paranaense, who could have perfectly won the game by a larger margin. During the first half, River had a hard time defending the overlapping runs of left back Renán Lodi, which led to Athletico’s goal. After the […]