River Plate lost 3-1 on Wednesday night to Bolivian team The Strongest in the high-altitude city of La Paz, an erratic debut in group D of the new Copa Libertadores.

For The Strongest, Argentine goal-scorer Enrique Triverio converted two goals and Uruguayan Gonzalo Castillo scored one in the packed Hernando Siles stadium, at a heady 3,650 meters above sea level, while Lucas Beltrán narrowed the Bolivians’ lead by scoring one.

River, in its first Copa Libertadores match without Marcelo Gallardo as trainer, paid dearly for two first-half errors.

A header from Chile’s Paulo Díaz a minute in was skilfully diverted by goalie Guillermo Viscarra. In the next move, Viscarra saved another shot from Rodrigo Aliendro. 

Trainer Martín Demichelis made changes to the formation, banking on the players who were best handling the altitude. Even without Nicolás De La Cruz, who’s out with an injury, and Ignacio Fernández, who came on for the second half, River gave a good game.

Despite the pressure, the Strongest regained their bearings to take advantage of River’s errors, with Triverio as the standout player.

The former Racing and Huracán player put the home team in the lead with a penalty after a foul by Franco Armani. The Argentine side’s netminder miscalculated, went far beyond the goal box, and touched Triverio as he did.

The Strongest’s second goal came after a pass from Paulo Díaz came up short. The leaders of the Bolivian league took the ball via Jaime Arrascaita and Michael Ortega passed to Triverio, who scored.

The goals took their toll on River, who lost their composure and felt the rigor of The Strongest with two more arrivals that were deflected by Armani against Luciano Ursino and the youthful Jeyson Chura.

River, who played with the alternative red shirt inspired by the 1986 champion team, went for the discount at the start of the second half, but Viscarra was at his best after a minute from a shot by Agustin Palavecino.

The Strongest didn’t take long to strike back, with a header goal from Castillo.

A breath of fresh air for River came with the arrival of Nacho Fernández. Vizcarra saved two shots from Palavecino and Pablo Solari, but couldn’t stop a penalty from Beltrán, who was fouled in the penalty area by Carlos Roca. 

The Nuñez club hasn’t won in the heights of La Paz since 1970 (2-0 against Universitario) and has accumulated four losses and two draws since then. 

River will try to regain its footing when it receives Peru’s Sporting Cristal on 19 April, for the second date in the difficult group, where Brazil’s Fluminense is also on the list.

The team came back to Buenos Aires on a red-eye charter flight Wednesday morning. They will train in the afternoon ahead of their fixture against Huracán in Parque de los Patricios on Sunday for the Professional Football League.

-Télam / Photo: Reuters