Club Atlético River Plate Puerto Rico facts for kids
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| Full name | Club Atlético River Plate Puerto Rico | |||
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| Nickname(s) | River Plate, River, RPPR | |||
| Founded | 2007 | |||
| Stadium | Pista Atlética Municipal Fajardo, Puerto Rico |
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| Stadium capacity |
12,500 | |||
| Owner | Giovanni Bonilla | |||
| Head Coach | Walter Zermatten | |||
| League | Puerto Rico Soccer League | |||
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Club Atlético River Plate Puerto Rico is a professional football team from Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The club started in 2007. It was created as a special branch of the famous Argentine club, River Plate.
The team plays in the Puerto Rico Soccer League. They are known for their red, white, and black colors. Their home games are played at Roberto Clemente Stadium in Carolina. The current head coach is Walter Zermatten from Argentina.
Contents
Club History: How River Plate Puerto Rico Started
On June 27, 2004, a group of 31 fans of the Argentine C.A. River Plate decided to form a club in Puerto Rico. Steven Alvarez led this group. They first played in an indoor football tournament in Bayamon. They finished in fourth place, which was their first game.
In August 2004, the club officially registered in Puerto Rico. They opened their first office in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Between 2005 and 2006, they worked with the Puerto Rico Football Federation. They wanted to become the first official franchise team in Puerto Rico. The federation's president, Joe Serralta, agreed. So, Club Atlético River Plate Puerto Rico was officially founded on January 1, 2007. The team chose to use the same uniform and logo as the original Argentine club.
To get more attention, the team partnered with boxer Miguel Cotto. He wore the club's colors during some of his big boxing matches. In 2006, the team joined the Liga Premier de Fútbol. They won their first championship with coach Rubén Muñoz. About 3,000 fans watched them win. Their defender, Marcelo Roca, was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 2007.
In 2008, River Plate Puerto Rico became a founding member of the Puerto Rico Soccer League. This was the first league that covered the whole island. For their first season, they brought in players from Argentina, Colombia, and El Salvador.
Playing in the Puerto Rico Soccer League
River Plate Puerto Rico played their first official league game on June 28, 2008. They won 2-0 against Atlético de San Juan FC. Daniel Gómez and Harry Irizarry scored the goals. They had a strong first half of the season. They beat teams like Gigantes de Carolina and Caguas Huracán.
In the 2009 season, River Plate Puerto Rico started very well. They won their first game 5-1 against Huracán. They had an amazing regular season, finishing with 14 wins, 0 losses, and 2 ties. This meant they won the league's regular season title. Their last game against Sevilla FC was a 2-2 draw. They were losing 2-0 with only 5 minutes left, but they scored two quick goals to stay undefeated. In the semifinals, they lost their only game of the season to Atlético.
Winning the Supercopa DirecTV 2010
The Supercopa DirecTV was a special tournament in 2010. It helped teams qualify for the CFU Championship. River Plate Puerto Rico was the first team to reach the semifinals. They won their group easily. After beating Sevilla Juncos in the semifinals, they played against the Puerto Rico Islanders in the final. River Plate Puerto Rico won the Supercopa DirecTV with a total score of 3-0 over two games. Both teams then qualified for the 2011 CFU Championship.
Playing in International Tournaments
In the first round of the 2010 CFU Club Championship, River Plate played against teams from other countries. They won their first match 3-1 against Racing des Gonaives. They also defeated Hubentut Fortuna 5-1 and C.S.B. Barber 4-0. River Plate finished at the top of their group. This allowed them to move on to the second round of the tournament. They also played in the 2011 CFU Club Championship.
Team Stadiums
- Francisco Montaner Stadium; Ponce, Puerto Rico (2008–2010)
- Roberto Clemente Stadium; Carolina, Puerto Rico (2011–present)
River Plate Puerto Rico first played their home games in Ponce at Francisco Montaner Stadium. They played there for their first three seasons. For the 2011 season, they planned to move to San Juan. However, they could not agree with the city of San Juan. So, the team decided to move to Fajardo instead. While Fajardo prepares to build a new stadium for the team, River Plate signed a temporary agreement. They now play their home games at Roberto Clemente Stadium in nearby Carolina.
Current Players
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Team Achievements
River Plate Puerto Rico has won several important titles:
- Puerto Rico Soccer League
- Supercopa DirecTV Champion (1): 2010
- League Champions (1): 2009
- Runner-up (1): 2008
- Copa Monteplata
- Winners (1): 2009
- Liga Premier
- Winners (1): 2007
See also
In Spanish: Club Atlético River Plate (Puerto Rico) para niños
