It was far from a vintage performance from Marcelo Gallardo’s River Plate but the increbible 15,000 travelling supporters can celebrate in Osaka this evening after a nervy one-nil win over Sanfrecce Hiroshima. The Copa Libertadores hero, Lucas Alario headed a scrappy winner with around twenty minutes remaining after a goalkeeping error from Takuto Hayashi but River were most indebted to Marcelo Barovero. The experienced keeper produced a man of the match performance to ensure Sanfrecce couldn’t find a way through. Gallardo’s team will face the winners of Thursday’s semi-final between Barcelona and the Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande knowing that a vast improvement will be required.
Much of the build-up to the match focused on River’s vast support in Japan and certainly inside the Nagai Stadium, the legions in red and white revelled in their status as the home side effectively. South American sides often struggle at the semi-final stage of the Club World Cup and Sanfrecce provided those in attendance with plenty of reasons to feel nervous over the potential of missing out on a potential final against Barcelona.
Marcelo Barovero was forced into three excellent saves during a first half where River bossed possession but it was Sanfrecce that should possibly have led.
Rodrigo Mora squandered River’s best chance shortly after the break but eventually the deadlock was broken in the 72nd minute. Tabaré Viúdez swung in a free-kick and when Takuto Hayashi came off his line and failed to get anything on the ball it feel to Lucas Alario to head the ball into the empty net.
Sanfrecce ensured that it was a tense final fifteen minutes or so but Gallardo’s boys held on and ensured that they would be in Yokohama on Sunday. Barcelona will join them barring a shock of monumental proportions and Barovero will not be able to save them single-handedly.
golazo argentino 