The gesture of the River Plate squad with González Pirez and Armani after the mistake that decreed the defeat to Boca

“River is a family”, a phrase that is often heard in the Monumental by both leaders and members of the coaching staff or football players. And these words are not used randomly, it is something that was evident once the Superclassic was over, which ended with a 1-0 victory for Boca Juniors thanks to a goal by Sebastián Villa.

After Darío Herrera's final whistle, both Franco Armani and Leandro González Pirez automatically took their heads, as it still rumbled in their minds the blooper they starred in and which led to the goal of the Colombian. The players - especially those on the substitute bench - quickly realized their unease and did not hesitate to approach the goalkeeper and the central scoreboard to lift their spirits, support them and point out that it did not happen. A similar situation was experienced within the dressing room.

This union that was seen inside the playing field of Antonio Vespucio Liberti can also be seen outside the pitch. A clear example of this is what happens on every birthday of some member of the millionaire cast, where athletes come with their partners, who also formed a strong bond between them.

In the run-up to the start of the League Cup, the entire River Plate squad gathered to eat a roast, and one of the details of the photo that went viral was that Fabrizio Angileri was among the footballers, despite the fact that due to a contractual issue he no longer trains with the first team.

The group union is something that has been proclaimed since the beginning of the cycle that has as its main head Marcelo Gallardo. That is why it was no accident to see Leo Ponzio and Germán Lux arrive in the same vehicle in the run-up to the match against Xeneize at Monumental, who until a few months ago were two of the club's benchmarks.

Although Marcelo Gallardo did not hesitate to acknowledge that “the goal comes from a very serious mistake, from an accident that occurs. And when you have players that can solve, what happened happens”, he publicly supported Franco Armani and Leandro González Pirez; especially the central scoreboard, who was already seen sideways by some supporters for some failures in previous matches. “I am not confused by these situations, a defeat, an adverse outcome,” he said.

“I'm not going to give you the pleasure. I defend my players, and in error, even more so. And if we lose, even more so. I am sure and convinced of what we do. Nothing more than that. It is necessary to have serenity”, was the phrase that the Doll drew before a journalist's consultation to make it clear that despite the ruling against Xeneize, the man who returned to the club from Inter Miami has his full support. It is worth noting that the defender returned to the institution at the express request of the DT.

Despite the defeat, the Núñez team have 13 units and appear - due to goal difference - in third place in Zone 1, which allows them to secure a ticket to the Final Stage of the competition. Above it are only Union (14) and Racing (15).

Another fact to keep in mind is that, as a result of the departure due to a new FIFA date, River Plate will return to the field of play only on April 2, when he travels to Florencio Varela to visit Defensa y Justicia, another of the animators of this group. It is expected that by that date the technical director will recover Hector David Martinez, one of his defensive pillars.

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