Will all three play? Mastantuono, Echeverri and Ruberto, the kids who want to shine in the superclassic

Ariel Ortega’s goal at the age of 20 in the Bombonera, in 1994. Pablo Aimar’s great goal, from a shot, at the age of 19, in the Monumental in 1999. The double by Gonzalo Higuaín, at the age of 19, in 2006. That goal of Radamel Falcao and the goal of Diego Buonanotte, at 19 years old, to Nery Cardozo, in 2009. The goals of Manuel Lanzini, at 20 and 21 years old, on the Boca field in 2013 and 2014. Sebastián Driussi’s celebration before the xeneize tribune in 2017, and Julián Álvarez’s double in 2021, in the return of the public to Núñez after the pandemic. The recent past of River is full of superclassic stories with the seal of his inferiors. The boys have their place in golden pages against the greatest rival. And the date of the seventh round of the League Cup offers an enormous possibility to three young promises of the club: Franco Mastantuono, Claudio Echeverri y Agustín Ruberto They will experience their first classic as professionals.

“I left River’s house; It is evident that I am going to keep an eye on the evolution of the boys from Inferiores, from the Reserve. For me, the evolution of a player has no limits. We are going to surround them with tools, fundamentals, we are going to put everything at the service of their growth and we will try to help them and be close.” On the day of his assumption as coach of River, Martin Demichelis He set his sights on the importance of the institution’s formative football as a platform to nurture the professional squad. Born in the club’s youth ranks, he lived in Casa River, graduated from high school and even worked for the press department when he was a member of the boarding house. He debuted, was champion, emigrated to Europe and returned to be coach. He knows in depth that “riverplatense language” that he always talks about. And that’s why he knows that this Sunday’s superclásico at the Monumental will have a more than special seasoning for the public, that he hopes that the kids from the hotbed will have their minutes.

Demichelis and the instructions for Claudio Echeverri; DT could include Diablito from the start in the superclassicMarcelo Endelli – Getty Images South America

Throughout the first seven official matches of the year, Mastantuono became the first spare part that Demichelis chose: he is the 12th player on the squad with the most accumulated minutes (319). Thus, the young man from Azul, who jumped from the fifth division to the first, became the first River footballer to start three times at only 16 years old; He participated in all the matches, entering the other four, and scored a goal against Excursionistas in the Argentine Cup. With self-confidence, dribbling and personality, the left-handed offensive midfielder comes from playing from the start against Banfield due to Miguel Borja’s injury and will fight until the last minute for a place in the team to face Boca, to the point that he already manages part of the ball stopped in the team for his exquisite hitting.

River and its youth, with excellent results in recent timesX

For its part, Claudio Echeverri He returned from the Under 23 Olympic Pre-Olympic with the Argentine team that only allowed him to work one week in the preseason with the squad and he already had positive minutes at the Monumental: he came on for Rodrigo Aliendro at 13 minutes into the second half in the tie with Banfield, he was very associated good with Esequiel Barco and Nacho Fernández to take the offensive reins of the team. Although he only rejoined training last Friday and received whistles among a majority of applause from the fans for his departure to Manchester City, he showed that he is ready to play and raised an interesting doubt for the coach.

His six games last year (156 accumulated minutes), with ownership in the Champions Trophy final included, and the good tournament with the national team, give Diablito another chance to dream of being against Boca from the start. Added to that, in that definition with Rosario Central he integrated an interesting offensive triangle with Facundo Colidio and Pablo Solari, who could take the lead due to Borja’s muscle injury, who is working against the clock to be called up. Furthermore, outside of sports, River is limited by time and money: Echeverri will leave for City in December, and the objectives assessed in the transfer will begin to be collected this year with the games he plays with the red band.

Agustin Ruberto waits for his opportunityX

Within the list of those summoned, there will also be Agustín Rubertothe 18-year-old center forward who has a more than auspicious goal average: he averages a little every 71 minutes, since he always entered as a substitute in the seven games of the year, scored two goals against Barracas Central and Excursionistas and added 142 minutes of action. The attacker from San Fernando was the top scorer in last year’s U-17 World Cup with eight goals. He has five goals in his record in 21 games (863 minutes) in the Reserve and a preseason in January in which he left more than satisfactory. technical. Despite that, his presence as a starter in the classic today seems more distant due to the possibilities that the coach has with Solari and Echeverri, waiting for Borja’s recovery.

Now that there is not much room for the youth players Daniel Zabala, Tobías Leiva, Jonás Luna and Ian Subiabre on the usual list of those called up due to the returns of injured and summoned players, the three youth players of the millionaire attack dream of a superclassical emergence. Demichelis’ recent decisions support them: Mastantuono and Ruberto had action in all the games of the year, and Echeverri showed in a handful of minutes the brushstrokes of what he can offer. Explosion, dribbling, audacity, talent, goals… the River kids want to put their foot down against Boca.

Juan Patricio Balbi Vignolo

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