When CA River Plate kicked off their FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ campaign against Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field in sunny Seattle, they lined up with four FIFA World Cup™ winners in their ranks.
Marcelo Gallardo could call upon Franco Armani in goal, while Gonzalo Montiel slotted in at right-back, German Pezzella lined up in the centre of defence and Marcos Acuna wreaked havoc down the left flank to complete quartet of Argentinians who helped their nation to end 36 years of waiting at Qatar 2022.
“Each player’s place in the pecking order is crucial,” explained Colombian international Miguel Borja in an interview with FIFA. “We’re lucky to have four world champions in the squad. We’ve got loads of experience under our belt, which will come in handy for the challenges ahead and the teams we’re up against.”
All four players did their bit to get the result, especially Acuna, who looked dangerous whenever he pushed forward. He set up Franco Colidio to open the scoring in the 12th minute, then provided the assist for Maximiliano Meza to put the game to bed with the third goal of the afternoon. River weren’t given an easy ride by the Reds, but Acuna’s pinpoint crosses proved a thorn in their side throughout as they struggled to deal with River’s aerial dominance, with all three goals coming from headers.
Montiel and Pezzella had to contend with Yusuke Matsuo’s pace and flair, which saw him slot home the AFC side’s only goal from the penalty spot in an end-to-end encounter. The ever-reliable Armani was there when it mattered most to prevent his team from conceding, including some crucial saves in the dying stages as Urawa threw everything at them to get back into the game. His shot-stopping sparked a roar from the fans who turned out in droves to cheer on their beloved team, chanting “Pulpo, Pulpo” (Octopus, Octopus) so loudly that it could be heard all the way to Pike Place Market.
“Having world champions in your team gives you a boost, but today showed that everyone can give you a run for your money, even if you have World Cup winners,” said Gonzalo Martinez. “Of course, it’s a bonus for us, but come matchday, you’re not always going to get respect.”
Pezzella was keen to direct the spotlight on the rest of his team-mates following the victory.
“We do have World Cup winners, but if you look at the playing careers of most of the guys in the squad, they know what these competitions are all about,” he told FIFA. “They know what it’s like to perform regularly and shift gears from one game to the next. We got the three points today, but now we have to focus on recovering ahead of the match against Monterrey”.
Alongside the champions, River are brimming with players who have international experience. Enzo Perez was runner-up at FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014™, Lucas Martinez Quarta is a two-time Copa America champion with Argentina, Nacho Fernandez has won the Copa Libertadores with River, while Colombian internationals Kevin Castano and Borja also add plenty of quality.
“As the more experienced players,” Pezzella continued, “we definitely try to get the message across that we should enjoy the good times, be quick to reset our focus, put the bad stuff behind us and look ahead to what’s coming next.”
Following their winning start, River will tackle two more tough challenges. The first is the aforementioned battle with Mexican side CF Monterrey, followed by a clash with Italian giants FC Internazionale Milano. Pezzella believes that staying calm under pressure is going to be key to River’s success.
“We have to get better at managing the periods of the game, both when the momentum is with us and when it’s not,” he said. “We have to keep in mind that, in these matches and competitions, things can change very quickly. We have to figure out how to manage them better, deal with them and use them to our advantage.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve. Over the last few months, we’ve been trying to get better at managing games, moments and phases. Sometimes, you’re on top for fifteen minutes, and then you struggle for the next ten. That’s where we need to step up our game and manage those moments better.”
