River Plate 2–1 The Villages SC
Who we played
River Plates’ roster
Enrique Bologna in goal. Milton Casco, Paulo Díaz, Javier Pinola and Fabrizio Angileri across the back. Enzo Fernández, Enzo Pérez, Agustín Palavecino and José Paradela in midfield. Matías Suárez and Agustín Fontana up front.
Jorge Carrascal, Benjamín Rollheiser, Germán Lux, Jonatan Maidana, Federico Girotti and Bruno Zuculini among the substitutes.
Enzo Pérez had captained River to a Copa Libertadores. Enzo Fernández would win a World Cup with Argentina eighteen months later.
The Villages SC Roster
Stating XI: Jackson Lee, Leonardo Paiva, Yago Lopes, Eric Ganime, Gustavo Murtha, Lucas Mauro, Daniel Oliveira, Cedric Tatchou, Austin Lukasik, Rafael Vacas, Pedro Santos.
## The match
30' — Agustín Fontana opened it, finishing an assist from Fabrizio Angileri. 1–0.
Gallardo overhauled the side at half time — Pinola, Casco and Bologna all introduced — to manage fatigue and look at combinations.
And in the second half we equalised. 1–1.
> The Florida-based USL League Two side found an equalizer, briefly stunning the powerhouse.
90' — Jorge Carrascal settled it with a minute of normal time left. 2–1.
What it meant
River beat Palm Beach Stars 8–0 on that trip. They beat Florida Soldiers 3–1.
We were the only team on the tour to score against them.
Man of the Match. The young goalkeeper, Jackson Lee had maturity and confidence. He was well positioned throughout the game making important saves during our friendly.
Nicholas Butler got it — a goal that one commentator would later describe as among the most memorable in this club's history, "although one that very, very few people saw." It was behind closed doors. Almost nobody did.
To our players: you went out against one of the most decorated clubs in South America, in front of nobody, and you made them bring on their captain and their veterans to see it out.
They needed a ninetieth-minute goal from a Colombian international to beat you.
The Buffalo Way!
