River Plate got their FIFA Club World Cup campaign off to a confident start with a 3-1 victory over Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in the Group E opener.
It was the first time Urawa faced South American opponents in a competitive match, and the early stages reflected their unfamiliarity, as the Argentine giants seized control right from kickoff.
The pressure told quickly. Sebastian Driussi came close to breaking the deadlock in the early exchanges, maneuvering into a pocket of space at the edge of the area.
Despite being closely marked by two defenders, he managed to unleash a shot that rattled the post and bounced clear.
That warning sign was followed up with a goal just three minutes later. Marcos Acuna floated in a precise cross that split the defense and goalkeeper, allowing Facundo Colidio to slip through and nod home the opener.
Marcos Acuna’s pinpoint cross fell teasingly in between a defender and the Urawa goalkeeper, allowing Facundo Colidio to steal in and head home the opening goal.
Urawa began to find some rhythm after conceding, and their efforts nearly paid off. Marius Hoibraten seemed to have leveled the scores with a well-directed header into the top corner.
But hopes were dashed as the assistant referee’s flag went up, the Norwegian was correctly flagged offside by the assistant referee, keeping River ahead.
Just as Urawa looked set to build momentum, they were undone by a costly error. A mistimed back-header from Hoibraten fell short of his own keeper, and Driussi was quick to capitalize, nipping in to gently nod the ball past the advancing Shusaku Nishikawa.
The Norwegian defender’s back header fell woefully short of the goalkeeper, and Driussi was alert enough to ghost in and nod the ball over the onrushing Shusaku Nishikawa.
To their credit, Urawa didn’t fold. Acuna’s foul on Takuro Kaneko gave them a lifeline, with Yusuke Matsuo converting the resulting penalty to cut the deficit.
Acuna bundled Takuro Kaneko over in the box, allowing Yusuke Matsuo to slot home from the penalty spot.
With renewed energy and encouraged by their vocal fans, Urawa chased an equaliser with urgency.
But River Plate soon shut the door on any comeback ambitions. Acuna, again involved, delivered a set piece into the box where Maximiliano Meza met it with a powerful header to seal the win.
Maximiliano Meza rose to get on the end of an Acuna freekick, and he thumped his header into the back of the net to ensure a successful start to River Plate’s CWC campaign.
It was a well-rounded performance from River Plate, who combined early dominance with clinical finishing and held firm against a spirited Japanese side.