Title:
ORTEGA Injury-Time WINNER Edges RIVER PLATE Past AMERICA

Description:
RIVER (Arg) 2 x AMERICA (Mex) 1 | 27 FEB 2008 | LIBERTADORES | Ariel Ortega's last-gasp goal gives River Plate a 2-1 victory over Club America in the Copa Libertadores. What a difference a week makes? Just seven days ago, Mexican side Club America walked away from a hard-fought Group 5 opener against Universidad Catolica with all three points thanks to an extratime goal. This week, Argentine powerhouse River Plate turned the tables, winning 2-1 over America in the closing seconds of the game. Ariel Ortega was the hero, beating America goalkeeper Armando Navarrete in the dying minutes of the game. "We are the rightful winners," Ortega told the press after the game. "We went looking for the victory in this match and we got it." In front of 40,000 fans at Monumental Stadium, both teams looked to attack from the opening whistle. The first chance fell to Ortega in the 6th minute. "El Burrito" collected a corner kick, faked a left-footed cross, and cut inside onto his right foot. But his low shot clanged off the post. At the other end, coach Ruben Omar Romano asked his wingbacks, Jose Castro and Oscar Rojas, to push up into the attack, and the strategy worked beautifully in the 15th minute. Juan Mosqueda infiltrated River's backline and put a perfect cross into Salvador Cabanas. The Paraguayan striker buried the ball in the net with a powerful header. After the goal, America took further control of the game. Mosqueda came to life in the midfield and Rojas put several dangerous balls into the box from the left. But just as America looked close to doubling their lead, River answered. In the 37th minute, Sebastian Abreu delivered a beautiful headed cross for fellow forward Colombian star Radamel Falcao to knock past the helpless Navarrete. Both sides made offensive changes at the break. River coach Diego Simeone gave Chilean creative midfielder Alexis Sanchez an opportunity, and America's Romano countered with Federico Higuain, last week's game-winning goal hero. The feisty Argentine had once played for River, but it was Sanchez who made the bigger difference. River attacked relentlessly for the next 45 minutes. Falcao, Ortega, and Sanchez all had good chances, but Navarrete was up to the task each time. But he could do nothing stop Ortega's powerful game-winning strike. Despite the loss, America finally looked to be forming a collective idea. Romano seems to be putting together a formidable, balanced starting line up. Mosqueda continues to show flashes of creativity. but sometimes "puts too much sour cream on the tacos," as the Mexicans say. That is, he tries to be too fancy instead of effective. The young midfielder needs to settle down and do what he does best: open the field up for Rojas and Castro on the wings. But the man of the match was Navarrete. The America goalkeeper proved again he is worthy of replacing Mexican international Guillermo Ochoa. Buenos Aires. AP. River Plate, con un gol del colombiano Radamel Falcao García y otro de Ariel Ortega en el descuento, venció 2-1 a América de México y dejó al Grupo 5 al rojo vivo ya que sus cuatro integrantes son punteros. El «Burrito» Ortega convirtió a los 92 minutos. El paraguayo Salvador Cabañas abrió el marcador para América a los 15, e igualó el artillero cafetero a los 36, en choque bastante entretenido y con acciones de gol repartidas. River, América, Universidad San Martín de Perú y Universidad Católica de Chile tienen tres puntos, en todos los casos con dos partidos jugados. El martes, la Católica venció 1-0 a San Martín. Las acciones proseguirán el 12 de marzo cuando Católica reciba a River y un día después América haga lo propio con San Martín. Fue el quinto choque por la Libertadores entre River y América, con una paridad total ya que se registraron tres empates y un triunfo por bando.

Author:
NoMeMientasCompadre

Tags:
aguilas, ariel, baires, but, cabañas, estadio, falcao, gallinas, garcia, mexicanas, millonarios, monumental, ortega, radamel, salvador,