2015 Recopa Sudamericana

The 2015 Recopa Sudamericana was a football match played over two legs between San Lorenzo and River Plate of Argentina. The first leg was played at the Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires on 6 February 2015 and the second leg was played on 11 February 2015 at the Estadio Nuevo Gasómetro. The annual Recopa Sudamericana, it was contested between the winners of the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. San Lorenzo were appearing in the competition for the second time after their loss in the 2003 edition, while River Plate reappeared for their third time after back-to-back losses in 1997 and 1998.

The teams qualified for the competition by winning the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. River Plate won the 2014 Copa Sudamericana beating Colombian team Atlético Nacional 3–1 in the finals. San Lorenzo qualified by winning the 2014 Copa Libertadores. They beat Paraguayan team Club Nacional 2–1 in the finals.

Watched by a crowd of 64,000 at the Estadio Monumental, River Plate took the lead in the series courtesy of the lone goal late in the second half scored by midfielder Carlos Sánchez, that yielded them a 1–0 victory. A crowd of 40,000 spectated the second leg at the Estadio Nuevo Gasómetro, which would end in similar fashion, having the same scoreline and goalscorer. Thus, River Plate won the tie 2–0 on aggregate to secure their first Recopa Sudamericana triumph.

The Recopa Sudamericana was founded in the late 1980s, as a means to determine the best team in South America.^[2] It was first contested between the winners of the Copa Libertadores and the Supercopa Libertadores from 1989 to 1998, when CONMEBOL discontinued the Supercopa Sudamericana. Following the absence of an important, secondary tournament, the Recopa Sudamericana went into a hiatus that lasted four years until the introduction of the Copa Sudamericana.^[3]

River Plate qualified for the Recopa Sudamericana by winning the 2014 Copa Sudamericana. They beat Colombian team Atlético Nacional 3–1 in the finals. The result meant River Plate won the competition for the first time, after a runner-up campaign earned in 2003.^[4] They were appearing in the competition for the third time after previous losses in 1997 and 1998.^[5]

San Lorenzo qualified for the competition as winners of the 2014 Copa Libertadores. They beat Paraguayan team Club Nacional 2–1 in the finals to win their first Copa Libertadores. It was the second time San Lorenzo would participate in the tournament after their defeat in the 2003 edition.^[5]

The first official match of the season for both teams would be the first leg of the Recopa Sudamericana. San Lorenzo played Godoy Cruz in a 1–0 pre-season friendly on 29 January.^[6] River Plate's last game before the tournament ended in a 5–0 defeat against rivals Boca Juniors in the exhibition Copa Luis B. Nofal cup.^[7]

The first leg was held at the Estadio Monumental, the home ground of River Plate. The host team started by exerting pressure in the opponent's field, thus generating the best situations, running into goalkeeper Sebastián Torrico. Further danger was funneled as Leonardo Pisculichi sent three corner kicks into the San Lorenzo box. From these, Teófilo Gutiérrez rattled the crossbar two times, while a header from Jonatan Maidana met the left post. A goalless draw was the conclusion for the first half, in spite of a clear domination from River Plate.^[8]

Martin Cauteruccio was the main resource San Lorenzo relied on when attacking. Their chances were scattered, but a penalty at the beggining of the second half was omitted by referee Germán Delfino, when Marcelo Barovero seemed to tackle the centre-forward after a cross from the left.^[9] The San Lorenzo striker later missed a one-on-one chance at the 54-minute mark. River Plate seemed less incisive with their chances compared to the first half, so manager Marcelo Gallardo subbed Gonzalo Martínez in for striker Rodrigo Mora to break the deadlock. He was proved right in his decision when the attacking midfielder filtered a pass between the lines to Carlos Sánchez, who with a powerful strike scored the only goal of the first leg. During the final minutes, Leandro Romagnoli lost his composure and attacked Leonel Vangioni with a disqualifying tackle, for which he received a straight red card.^[8]

River Plate came from an overwhelming defeat against rivals Boca Juniors in a friendly game a week prior. Gallardo replied to critics expressing: "Many things were said during the week, some justified, others not. You can't analyze one match and believe that this team is finished." Regarding the performance of his team, he stated: "There was a trophy at stake and the players responded. That gives me peace of mind. Our focus was on the start of the official competition, just as we had announced. Today we were back to our old ways."^[10]

River Plate's 1–0 victory in the first leg meant that San Lorenzo needed to score a goal to force the tie into extra-time. The home team started stronger, applying high pressure and thus forcing two corner kicks in the first five minutes. Almost 20 minutes into the match, River Plate generated the first clear occasion when Ariel Rojas centered a pass from Teófilo Gutiérrez to Carlos Sánchez, whose shot went just wide. The home team responded by letting their full-backs design two of the team's best chances. In the 35th minute, a volley to the right post from Matías Caruzzo was deflected spectacularly by Marcelo Barovero after Julio Buffarini broke down the right flank. In similar fashion six minutes later, Emmanuel Mas entered the penalty area and put a cutback for Sebastián Blanco, whose shot got blocked by Leonel Vangioni.^[13]

In the second half, San Lorenzo pressed forward again from the start, creating two opportunities in quick succession for Uruguayan striker Martín Cauteruccio. Nonetheless, River Plate took the lead in the second leg at the 22-minute mark. After Rodrigo Mora controlled a cross from the right that prevented a goal kick, he turned back and rapidly passed the ball to Sánchez, who put a shot on net that rebounded off Caruzzo and went into the goal. Three minutes later, San Lorenzo had two prospects for an equalizer in close succession, but they were both saved by Barovero. The keeper first stopped a bounced header from Mauro Matos, followed by a save with his chest after a shot from Héctor Villalba. Another clear chance was also missed by River Plate when Sánchez put a shot wide after a rebound from Sebastián Torrico in the 78th minute. During the last 10 minutes of the match, Ramiro Funes Mori received a straight red card for a violent tackle on Blanco, while Buffarini was sent off after receiving a second booking due to a foul committed on Sánchez.^[13]

River Plate goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero addressed their last three matches, acknowledging: "We have to enjoy it, it's always good to win a title. What happened with Boca was sad, many people dwelled on that. But the official season only started on Friday and the important thing for us was to win this Recopa." Colombian striker Teófilo Gutiérrez expressed his high expectations about the team, stating: "I came to this club with the hope of winning important things, to go down in history. And the results are coming, we're not setting any limits for ourselves [...] We've won three important titles and we're going for more."^[14]

San Lorenzo's campaign in the 2015 Argentine Primera División yielded them a second place, therefore qualifying for the 2016 Copa Libertadores. River Plate finished the league in ninth place, but would also enter the tournament as reigning champions following their victory in the 2015 finals.^[15]

• 2015 Copa Libertadores
• 2015 Copa Sudamericana
• 2015 Club Atlético River Plate season