River Plate stayed afloat in the Copa Sudamericana eighth‑round after a 0‑0 draw in Bogotá against Independiente Santa Fe. The match, played on Wednesday, ended goalless and left the Rosarinos hoping to advance to the return leg at the Monumental. The defense, which had to be assembled under Chacho Coudet’s direction, held thanks to Santa Fe’s lack of clear chances and the tactical changes the coach made during the game.
Coudet faced a series of limitations: full‑backs Giovani González and Francisco Ortega could not be registered, Montiel and Acuña were injured and there was no natural substitute. In the final line, Martínez Quarta moved to right back, Otamendi took the central defender role, and Rivero and the youth player Facundo González covered the left side. The defense stayed “tight as a pin”, but managed to keep the scoreline thanks to the opponent’s lack of clear opportunities.
In attack, Coudet took conservative measures: Almada was put on the bench to reduce the load of two starters in 72 hours and Vera replaced Freitas as the central striker, supporting Moreno in the central axis. River also became more laborious to make ground in the 2640 metres of Bogotá.
The first goal chance came in the 12th minute when Rivero headed a corner from Asprilla and the goalkeeper who replaced the starter Mosquera made a great save. Rivero also received a yellow card for a late hard tackle on Obrian. Santa Fe focused most of its attacks on River’s left side, with Hugo Rodallega (41 years old) as pivot, but the Rosarinos’ defense managed to neutralise the threat.
River alternated between Borré with long passes and Correa’s backward play to build the game, but the right side lacked Andrada and Martínez Quarta was uncomfortable. Galván was intermittent, making it hard for Correa to find a partner. Borré and Beltrán were not registered for the Sudamericana and still lack fitness, affecting possession quality.
Despite having more possession in the first half, River suffered several scares, including a poor control by Vera in a prohibited zone that nearly cost them a goal. In the second half, River’s intensity dropped and Almada and Freitas were introduced for Borré and Galván, but they failed to give the team the needed breathing room.
The match ended 0‑0, and the main takeaway for the Rosarinos was that a clean sheet was the best they could achieve in Bogotá. Coudet censored the Conmebol microphones, preferring to pay the fine, just as Boca did in Paraguay against Recoleta.
Nicolás Otamendi’s words after the draw highlighted the importance of the defense and the need to stay focused in upcoming matches.
