CF Monterrey have kept their FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ hopes alive after a feisty 0-0 draw with CA River Plate. With one game to go in Group E, the Mexican side need to beat Urawa Red Diamonds and hope that FC Internazionale Milano get the better of River to book their place in the Round of 16. While it was a team effort against the Argentinian heavyweights, they owe plenty of their thanks to goalkeeper Esteban Andrada.
The 34-year-old delivered a standout performance between the sticks to add to a solid display in their opening-day draw against Inter. In a match filled with familiar faces — with players like Lucas Ocampos and Maximiliano Meza facing their former clubs — it was a particularly meaningful day for the Monterrey stopper.
Much like Nicolas Otamendi, who admitted SL Benfica’s 2-2 draw against CA Boca Juniors felt “different” given his ties to River, Andrada found himself up against a familiar foe. The goalkeeper played more than 90 games for Boca between 2018 and 2021, making this a special kind of reunion.
The Argentinian keeper made a series of sharp saves in the first half, before coming up big to deny Miguel Borja in a one-on-one. Moments earlier, he had tipped over a Franco Mastantuono effort destined for the top corner before once again thwarting Borja with a reflex save in the latter stages of the game.
“We know that a draw wasn’t enough — we needed to win,” he admitted post match. “Now, we have to focus on doing our part, but we’re going to give everything in that next match. I’m happy that I managed to keep a clean sheet – and I played well against Inter too. It was a special game for me. We knew that it was going to be a tight game and it proved that way.”
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Besides his shot-stopping duties, Andrada’s 1.93m frame means he’s strong in the air and a penalty-saving specialist, while his impressive technical ability makes him a key cog in playing out from the back. Rayados’s tactics hinge on their talented defenders and slick midfield to ditch the long ball and control the game through quick, precise build-up play. In the system, the Argentinian goalkeeper constantly holds the ball to invite pressure before bypassing the opposition press with pinpoint passes.
Not too long ago, Rayados signed goalkeeper Santiago Mele to bolster their squad. His arrival, seemingly, sparked Andrada to take his game up a notch, and players on both side of the divide are noticing his elite performances.
“He was a brick wall,” his team-mate Roberto de la Rosa said. “We are all giving our best for the benefit of the team. It was a tough game with fine margins and one mistake could have been costly, but that didn’t happen”.
“He made some good saves, there’s a reason we didn’t manage to score,” River Plate’s Chilean defender Paulo Diaz told FIFA. “He’s a great goalkeeper. I’ve known him for a long time.”
Domenec Torrent’s decision to start him has, so far, been justified by two strong performances that have Rayados dreaming of a place in the Round of 16. The Mexican team take on Urawa Reds in a must-win game at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles on Wednesday 25 June.
“We’re still in it and winning is our only option,” Andrada added. If he shows the form he’s displayed so far in the States, they have every chance of advancing.
