River Plate kicked off their FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) campaign with a bang, overcoming Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1 in their Group E opener.
In their inaugural competitive clash with South American rivals, the Japanese outfit seemed to be on the back foot during the first 20 minutes, as River Plate dominated proceedings from Buenos Aires.
Sebastian Driussi was quick to test the Urawa defence, finding space near the edge of the box. Under pressure from two defenders, he managed to unleash a shot that struck the post, bouncing clear of danger.
Just three minutes later, it was Los Millonarios who took the lead. A pinpoint cross from Marcos Acuna found its way between a defender and the Urawa keeper, enabling Facundo Colidio to pounce and nod in the opening goal.
Urawa improved their game after conceding, but their celebrations for what looked to be an equaliser were short-lived. Marius Hoibraten directed a well-placed header over River Plate goalkeeper Franco Armani and into the top corner, only for the assistant referee to correctly flag him offside, preserving River’s lead.
Following a promising end to the first half, Urawa appeared to lose momentum when Hoibraten’s backheader fell desperately short of the goalkeeper. Driussi capitalised, ghosting in to place the ball over the advancing Shusaku Nishikawa.
But just when it seemed River might have the game in hand, Acuna’s foul on Takuro Kaneko gave Urawa a penalty, which Yusuke Matsuo converted with aplomb.
With their fans rallied behind them, the Japanese side threw themselves forward in search of another equaliser. However, those hopes were quashed with just over 15 minutes left in the match.
As the tension mounted, Maximiliano Meza rose to meet an Acuna freekick, powering his header into the net and securing an ideal start to River Plate’s CWC journey.
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Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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