Sustained by the experience of goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero and the clearances of Johnatan Maidana, the Argentine team defended the goalless draw in the thick climate of Tigres Stadium in Monterrey.
River struggled in this first final. It was without the depth shown by Tabaré Viudez in Paraguay. They also missed the dynamism of Carlos Sánchez on the field, which did not bring offensive play for Rodrigo Mora's shots. The first half was detrimental as they lost Tabárez and Mora to injury. The Uruguayan felt a twinge in his right leg after colliding with the opposing goalkeeper.
In the second half, Nicolás Bertolo and Gonzalo Álvarez came on. The former played on the left as a midfielder, while Álvarez approached Lucas Alario, who ended up as the lone man up front. However, River lost their game. They got infected by the Mexicans who disrupted the game with fouls.
Midway through the second half, Leo Ponzio felt the physical wear and tear. He lost his marking in midfield. With the lines too far apart, River played closer to their own box. Physically depleted, Matías Kranevitter brought personality to the midfield. He fulfilled his role superbly.
At the 83rd minute, Marcelo Barovero managed to hold off Jurgen Damn, who caught Lionel Vangioni off guard in the defensive exit. The Mexican avoided a one-on-one finish and was left without an angle for a shot, let alone a back pass for Gignac, who was waiting in front of the goal.
"We didn't concede any goals, and that's important. Now we have to be strong at home. We are one step away from winning something important. Tigres controlled the ball well and complicated us with a couple of late attacks," explained Johnatan Maidana.
In addition to the injuries, another bad news for coach Marcelo Gallardo is that he will not be able to use right-back Gabriel Mercado in the return match, as he is suspended due to yellow cards.
The title will be decided at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, August 5th. The match will be refereed by Uruguayan Darío Ubriaco. Away goals will not be considered to break the tie in this stage.
The Argentine team has already sold 52,000 tickets for the match, which will have a revenue of around $3.2 million.