The Colombian players who made history with River Plate in the Copa Libertadores
The Argentine club River Plate has been a school for many Colombian players. Many of them dream of playing for the team with the crossed stripe and then making a leap to Europe.
River had not reached a Libertadores final for 19 years. Mario Yepes, Juan Pablo Ángel, Jairo Patiño, Nelson Rivas, Juan Carlos Toja, Falcao, and Teófilo Gutiérrez have all been part of the history of the Argentine team in the Copa.
AS Colombia recounts the stories that Colombian players have in the Copa Libertadores playing with the River Plate jersey.
Mario Yepes: The former captain of the Colombian national team was with River for three years. He did not score any goals in the Copa Libertadores, but the most memorable chapter was the nutmeg by Román Riquelme in the quarterfinals. It was on May 24th when Boca won 3-0 with goals from Delgado, Riquelme, and Palermo. Boca was the champion in that edition.
However, Mario is one of the best center-backs that the Argentine team has had. His passion, tackles, and goals in the Argentine tournament highlighted the Colombian as one of the best defenders that have passed through River Plate.
Juan Pablo Ángel: A forward that many fans of the Argentine team remember. The love affair between River and Ángel did not start off well, as he was resisted until he scored an incredible goal against Boca in a superclásico. From that day on, he never stopped scoring and enchanting the fans.
Ángel scored 16 goals in the four editions he participated in. He is the Colombian with the most goals in the Libertadores.
Jairo Patiño: Jairo 'El Viejo' Patiño left behind dribbles, speed, and rabonas at River. The Colombian came close to reaching the final of the Copa Libertadores in 2005 but lost in the semifinals against Sao Paulo with a 5-2 aggregate score. The Brazilian team was the champion that year. Patiño played five games and scored two goals. The first one was against Olmedo and the second one against Liga de Quito.
Nelson Rivas: He was in the 2007 Copa Libertadores with River, but they couldn't advance past the group stage. The Argentine team only managed to get eight points, winning two matches, drawing two, and losing two. The Colombian defender showed courage and strength and was tough to beat in one-on-one situations.
Juan Carlos Toja: He was one of the players with the most promise. The midfielder arrived with high expectations, and despite not being as influential, he had a story with River in the Libertadores. He scored a fantastic goal against Oriente Petrolero in Bolivia, which gave them a 2-0 victory and the right to enter the Copa group stage.
Falcao: One of the Colombian players most loved by the River fans. He joined the Argentine team at the age of 15 in 2001. He had outstanding performances in the Copa Libertadores, scoring 4 goals. He scored against América de México in a 2-1 victory at the Monumental. His second goal came against San Lorenzo with a header past Orión.
He scored the third goal against Universidad de San Martín. In Peru, the Colombian forward scored the consolation goal in a 4-2 loss against Nacional de Paraguay.
Teófilo Gutiérrez: He didn't leave River on the best terms, but he won the affection of many fans. In the 2015 Copa Libertadores, he was instrumental until the semifinals before leaving for Sporting Lisbon.
Teo scored three goals in the Copa Libertadores. He scored against Tigres in Mexico, securing a 2-2 draw that qualified River for the knockout stage. He also scored against San José from Bolivia at the Monumental. His last goal was a fantastic one against Cruzeiro, which secured River's place in the final of the Copa Libertadores.
Eder Balanta: He is the first Colombian to reach a final with the Argentine team. The defender scored a goal against Juan Aurich in Peru. He played in both matches against the Peruvian team. However, he got injured with a tibia and fibula fracture at the Monumental and missed a significant part of the Copa Libertadores. On Wednesday, he will be an option for Gallardo.