River wants a Christmas with another cup, the Club World Cup

[Inkriql]

With nothing in time to savor the victory in a controversial Copa Libertadores against his great rival, Boca Juniors, the River Plate team traveled from Spain to the United Arab Emirates with the dream of winning the Club World event.

After the 3-1 victory (5-3 in the World Cup) at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, the "millionaire" will seek his second chance to buy the world that escaped three years ago.

His main obstacle will be the winner of the last editions: a Real Madrid weakened by the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and directed by an acquaintance of the Monumental stadium, his ex-player Santiago Solari.

In principle, the cast of the Gallardo Muñeco, will depart tomorrow from Madrid to the Arab Emirates to debut in the Club World Cup in the semifinals, and will play on December 18. Encounter facing local Al Ain against New Zealand Wellington team.

If there are no surprises, the river should face the whites on December 22 with the aim of returning to South America the world and European hegemony in this tournament.

In recent years, only the Brazilian Corinthian took the cup to the American continent by defeating English Chelsea 1-0 in 2012.

The thorn in the river, some players and the "Doll"
"We face the world as one more step to stay in the history of the river, but today and tomorrow let us enjoy," said the center Javier Pinola in the mixed zone of the Santiago Bernabéu.

The Intercontinental Cup trophy in 1986 (1-0 against Steaua Bucharest), although it was published in the end of 1996 and 2015, the latter is in the current format.

Several of the current members of the squad, such as captain Leonardo Ponzio, center Jonatan Maidana or a young Gonzalo 'Pity' Martinez, the last in Japan, where the "millionaire" team succumbed to FC Barcelona.

Led by the Argentine star Lionel Messi, the azulgrana overwhelmed with a goal of '10' and two of the Uruguayan Luis Suárez and the men of Marcelo Gallardo.

For the 'Muñeco', which in the "millionaire" bench has won two Libertadores (2015, 2018), a Copa Sudamericana (2014) and two cups from Argentina (2016, 2017), the tournament is also a pending issue.

Not only did he escape to the 2015 final, but also from 1996, although he did not participate in the match against Italian Juventus, which has become a solitary goal by Alessandro del Piero.

"Gallardo goes for the vanquished", titled Monday the Argentine sports newspaper Olé.

The tournament also has a bitter taste in the "millionaire" goalkeeper, Franco Armani, one of the heroes of the Libertadores that in 2016 did not play the final against Real Madrid because his Atlético Nacional (Colombia) is in the semifinals against Kashima Antlers (0-3).

The "millionaires" hope to return home for Christmas with another trophy under their arm and dye the white and red in the streets of Buenos Aires.