At the end of the group stage of the South Central Women’s Club Championship held in San José, Brazil. River Plate from Argentina and Goes from Uruguay kicked off the day of definitions in the group stage to determine which teams in Group 3 would advance to the next phase of the tournament. In a close match, River won 23-19 and qualified for the semifinals.
The first minutes were better for the Uruguayans, who dominated the first five minutes thanks to their effective counterattacking. However, it didn’t take long for El Millonario to respond and equalize. Sofia Manzano’s goal in the 13th minute put River in the lead for the first time in the match. A string of steals, quick counterattacks and a good performance by goalkeeper Leila Niño allowed River to regain control of the game. The teams went to the break with the score 12-10 in favor of River.
During the second half, parity continued to be the protagonist. Both teams showed solid defense and effective offense, exchanging goals in a thrilling tug-of-war. River managed to keep a slight advantage on the scoreboard, but the Uruguayan team did not stop pressing.
Towards the end, the “Millonarias” got a couple of key steals and scored a decisive difference, achieving a hard-fought victory with a final score of 23-19. With this result River qualified to the semifinals as first of group 3. The MVP of the match was Maira Carletti of River Plate.
Post-match statements:
Natalia Cabo, River player: “There is no tactical analysis today, today’s match was all heart. If I have to think about what we planned for this game: We studied a lot. The slap we took in the first game was necessary, we are a team that learns from our mistakes, we recognize that we did not have a very good first half and we said we would not repeat it again. The game was today, this is River, playing with heart”.
Viviana Ferris, player of Goes: “We knew River was a tough opponent. In the first half we had it there and we were able to keep it. In the second half we were also able to maintain it, but in the end there were mistakes due to lack of concentration and missed shots. But this is what sport is, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I think we played a good game despite the loss, and we will continue to improve.
Check the fixture for the third matchday of the group stage!
View this post on Instagram
Photo: CoSCABal/Germán Paez
By Camila Miranda
