CUP DREAM, ONE STEP CLOSER River is finalist of Copa Libertadores: it drew 1-1 with Guaraní in Paraguay and, thanks to the triumph it had achieved in the Monumental stadium, it got a place in the defining instance of the tournament.

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In the second leg of the semifinals of Copa Bridgestone Libertadores, River visited Guarani looking to keep the advantage of two goals that it had achieved the previous week in the Monumental stadium.

In the Defensoresdel Chaco stadium and with the support of thousands of fans who traveled to Asunción, Marcelo Gallardo"s team looked for a goal from the beginning to bring calm and, indeed, it was the one that had the best chances in the first stage. With firm pressure on rival camp, River didn"t let Guarani to play and it was close to score in a couple of occasions: first, after a great combination between Alario and Sánchez that Mora couldn"t concrete by centimeters, then with a right foot by Gonzalo Martínez. Paraguayans, meanwhile, managed to worry Barovero on the closure of the initial stage, when a shot by Benítez from outside the area found a solid goalkeeper.

In the second half, River controlled the match and kept away its arch from the rival. However, irpaid for dearly his first defensive carelessness: at miute16, a center by Benítez from the right side of the field found Bartomeus, who headed on the stick, and on the rebound, Santander letgFernández to set the 1-0. Five minutes later, Guaraní had a good opportunity to increase the difference, but Sánchez, on the line, avoided the second goal of the Paraguayan team.

The Uruguayan Viudez changed the face of River: he made a precise pass to Mora, who combined with Alario and Cavenaghi, both well resolved by the Paraguayan goalkeeper. Then there was a second pass to Alario, who defined perfectly to set the 1-1 classification that secured River Plate classification.

Thus came the end, with another sample of character and hierarchy by the team of Gallardo. With River backing to the final of the Libertadores Cup after 19 years, the Cup dream is one step closer.

RiverPlate: Marcelo Barovero; Gabriel Mercado, JonatanMaidana, Ramiro Funes Mori, Leonel Vangioni; Carlos Sánchez, Matías Kranevitter, Luis González, Gonzalo Martínez; Rodrigo Mora and Lucas Alario. Substitutes: Julio Chiarini, Emanuel Mammana, Camilo Mayada, Sebastián Driussi, Javier Saviola, Fernando Cavenaghi and Tabaré Viudez. Coach: Marcelo Gallardo.

Guaraní: Alfredo Aguilar; Juan Patino, Julio Cáceres, Rubén Maldonado; Marcelo Palau, Jorge Mendoza, Thomas Bartomeus, Luis De la Cruz; Fernando Fernandez, JulianBenitez and Federico Santander. Substitutes: Antonio Franco, Alberto Contreras, Luis Cabral, IvanGonzalez, Eduardo Filippini, Juan Aguilar and Claudio Correa. DT: Fernando Jubero

Changes: BartomeusGonzalez, Contreras Patino, Correa Fernandez (G); Mayada byGonzalez, widowhoodbyMartinez. Cavenaghiby Mora (RP).

Cautioned: Mercado, Sanchez, Mayada (RP); Maldonado (G).

Referee: Julio Bascuñán. Assistants: Marcelo Barraza and Raul Orellana. Alternate Referee: Claudio Puga (allfrom Chile).

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