MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
River Plate praised by European Sports journalists.
River Plate gained the runners-up position behind local favourites Ajax, in the “2004 Sony Amsterdam Tournament”. Ajax drew 0-0 with English champions Arsenal late on Sunday night, before a sell-out crowd of 50,000, to clinch the trophy, following their impressive 3-2 win over Greek champions Panathinaikos on Friday.
Ajax, in particular, and Arsenal both fielded many of their first team players in an entertaining game, in which the young Ajax goal-keeper Maarten Stekelenburg made several outstanding saves, and was named "Man of the Match'.
Earlier on Sunday evening the Argentine champions strolled to a 1-0 victory over Panathinaikos after Maximiliano Lopez, in the 22 minute, beat two defenders in the penalty area, before slotting the ball into the net. Two days previously River had drawn 0-0 with Arsenal in a lackluster game with few chances created by either side.
River, who did not concede a goal throughout the tournement were missing two International players, the Chilean Marcelo Salas and Argentine Marcelo Gallardo.
Foreign journalists praised River for their skill and excellent ball control but felt that they were a little too relaxed at times. Marcin Horasiowicz of the Polish newspaper 'Prezled Sportong' felt that that the Argentine champions were, "too pretty and not forceful enough. The defence was well organized". He rated the 24 year old Paraguayian Nelson Ceuvas as the best River player over both games.
The Polish journalists comments were endorsed by the River Plate coach Leonardo Astrada who said that he would have "liked his team to have attacked more and scored a second goal against Panathinaikos".
BBC World Service sports correspondent Ashish Sharma spoke of River being, "a good tidy team but a little over-elaborate and could have broken quicker from defence". He picked out goal-scorer Lopez as the best player.
Belgian journalist Steven Tuyls of the 'Gazet ven Antwerpen' newspaper liked the "attacking soccer played by River which is typical of good Argentine teams over the years". He too picked Lopez as being the outstanding River player in the tournement.
Leo Drressen of the Dutch radio station RTL Nederland thought that River "lacked the 100% spirit to totally justify their well organized play. It was probably a little difficult following a long tiring trip from Buenos Aires", he concluded. He rated 22 year old Patricio Toranzo as his best player.
French newspaper L'Equipe's Dutch correspondent Ronald Kres said that River are "a team containing many good young players who showed up well against tough opposition". Cuevas stood out while Sambueza also left a "good impression" on him too.
Jeroen Haverhort of the ELF football magazine of Holland felt that River were "a little too laid-back, but were dangerous on the counter attack and well organized". He picked out Cuevos, Lopez and captain Eduardo Tuzzio as the the best players.
Yoeri van den Busken, sports writer with the leading Dutch newspaper 'De Telegraaf' said that 'River played typical Argentine style football. It was not not high tempo, slow, but individually skillfull". Lopez impressed him most of all.
By Patrick Watts - Amsterdam
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