Front replacement: River vs. Racing (C) with rotation

It will not be another game for River in the Madre de Ciudades de Santiago del Estero. It will not be for Martín Demichelis. Nor for the players who jump onto the playing field. This Wednesday from 21.10when the team faces Cordoba Racing for the 32nd final of the Argentine Cup, the coach will start to understand how long his squad is. Because this time, really, Micho has thought rotate the vast majority of the names that are usually holdersor at least they were on Saturday in the 2-0 victory over Lanús in the battle of La Fortaleza.

Already fully immersed in a double competition that will soon be a constant of the semester, especially since the beginning of the group stage of the Copa Libertadores in April, MD wants to start dosing the energies of his soldiers so as not to force the machine while, in parallel, he tries to make his team also “a machine”. One that for now is not: at least, interpreters on the sidelines, River will enter the night of Santiago in the area of ​​consolidating an idea, of achieving the operation that the coaching staff intends, which in the words of the coach himself projected that at this point ( with eight to ten shooting games) should see a version that definitely stretches over time.

And for that, Micho considers, it won’t hurt to put some legs in the water: his plan for this debut in CA is to use the vast majority of players who beat the Reserve 2-0 on Sunday at the Monumental. With that base, perhaps reinforced by some occasional footballers, Demichelis understands that he will be able to form a team that passes the first obstacle against a rival that has the danger typical of these matches: recently promoted to Segunda with a campaign in which he made history for having obtained the absolute record of undefeated home games (41) in Cordoba football and with a squad that changed 17 playersthose of Little Bossio They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The most federal Cup in the country usually gives surprises that River, forced to pass, will want to avoid in the NOA, where it landed on Tuesday night and was received -as always- by a crowd that greeted the delegation at the door of the Maria’s hotel in La Banda.

Thus, Demichelis will try to give minutes to many footballers who were somewhat lacking in rhythm and in turn take care of those with the most empty energy bar, who coincidentally or not are almost all the leaders: after Armani (position of different physical demands, If the world champion saves or Centurión does it -like on Sunday- is one of the doubts in the previous one), who was in all the official minutes, in the ranking of attrition they follow him Nacho Fernández with 508′, Enzo Pérez (503′), Casco (493′) and a Paradela (444′) which is up to now little less than a fetish player who responds to the stop. Although neither Suárez nor Mammana got on the plane this time and they are going little by little, there are many surnames that need to show the coach that they want and can earn a place or, at a minimum, become reliable alternatives. Santiago Simon, who added many points in Córdoba vs. Banfield and entered the South well, is an eloquent example.

For the rest, tonight will be a test so that the team’s attitude begins to be seen also in games that a priori -as was Arsenal- appeared accessible: concentration and intensity to recover after loss had up to now as maximum exponents the two bravest commitments so far this year, which were the visits to Tigre and Lanús. With one detail: specialty of the house in almost the entire Gallardo era, It will be a good opportunity to get back a plate in the one-on-one matches and, above all, to form a winning mentality in the direct elimination duels. (For now he played one, against Banfield in the semifinal tiebreaker of the Champions Trophy and he passed it leaving doubts).

It is not something minor: the mata-mata are the ones that usually go to the history books and, in projection, River will have to face them all year, in the Argentine Cup, eventually in the next League Cup and in Libertadores and, Specially in one or two finals against the rival of a lifetime that can raise or lower the thumb to the emotional balance of the entire year.

River: Centurion or Armani; A. Herrera, Maidana, P. Diaz, E. Gomez; Simón, Palavecino or E. Pérez, Aliendro or E. Pérez, Solari; Beltrán or I. Fernández y Borja.

Racing (C): L. Rodriguez; Scolari, Mattia, M. Gomez, G. Ferrero; E. Gimenez; Berrondo, Oyola, L. Fernandez; Murialdo and F. Coronel.

Basketball court: Mother of Cities, Santiago del Estero.

Referee: Sebastian Zunino.