Nice wink of fate for Gallardo’s story in River that his first and last game as DT of River in the Monumental have been against the same rival. On August 17, 2014, the Muñeco team beat Miguel Ángel Russo’s Central 2-0 with goals from Teófilo Gutiérrez and Leonardo Pisculichi, a victory that was part of the incredible unbeaten run of 23 games with which Gallardo began his millionaire cycle. a preview of what was to come.
Almost three thousand days passed between that meeting and this Sunday, and boy has the Doll changed. From long, combed hair almost parted in the middle to today’s jopo care with gel. From the somewhat baggy gray jacket without a tie to the painted black suit with a tie of recent times. And, above all, from some indications of encouragement in its early days to the images of challenges and frustration that were repeated so much this semester.
And tonight the thing had postcards more similar to the last ones, with Gallardo in silence, seeing how his team did not respond to him on the field, even in his farewell to the Monumental after eight and a half years of an enviable cycle. Of course it was a silence filled with applause The fans dedicated their idol to him throughout the eveningwith peaks of emotion in the preview and the post.
Gallardo bet for the appointment before those directed by Tevez -of affectionate greeting with his colleague in the previous one- by several of the players who gave him the least in the semester, almost as a form of personal revenge. Gómez, Martínez and Paradela from the beginning surprised more than one. What was not so surprising was that at halftime, with Central already up by 1 to 0 after a weak reaction from Armani and a goal from the kid VelizGallardo chose to make multiple changes, as happened in many of his last games.
It is clear that the night was not given to River because as soon as the second stage started, the left-handed Blanco overwhelmed Enzo Pérez and sent a center that Armani did not control and allowed Veliz to score the second. What followed was worrisome for the local (for football and also for Quintero’s unusual push to the referee), in tune with the week that Mundo River lived since the announcement of the Muñeco.
But Suárez put the discount (and Central had two goals canceled for offside) and went to greet the DT, at least one mime for the great protagonist of the day and also of that “beautiful story” that is coming to an end.
