Club Atlético River Plate (Montevideo) facts for kids
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| Full name | Club Atlético River Plate | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Darseneros (Dockers) | |||
| Founded | 11 May 1932 | |||
| Ground | Estadio Saroldi, Montevideo, Uruguay |
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| Capacity | 6,000 (all seated) | |||
| Chairman | Willie Tucci | |||
| Coach | Ignacio Ithurralde | |||
| League | Primera División | |||
| 2023 | Primera División, 9th of 16 | |||
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Club Atlético River Plate is a football club from Montevideo, Uruguay. They play in the Primera División, which is the top football league in Uruguay. This club is not the same as the older River Plate F.C. that won the Uruguayan league many years ago.
Contents
Discovering River Plate's History
River Plate de Montevideo was formed on May 11, 1932. It was created when two older clubs, Olimpia and Capurro, joined together. One of their first goals was to find a new home for their games. They chose "Olimpia Park," which is now called Estadio Saroldi.
Why Is Their Stadium Called Estadio Saroldi?
The stadium was renamed to honor Federico Omar Saroldi. He was River Plate's first goalkeeper. Sadly, he passed away after getting hurt during a match against Central Español.
Early Stars of River Plate Football
In the club's early years (from 1932 to 1942), some amazing players wore the River Plate jersey. These included Severino Varela and Héctor Sena Puricelli. Before the clubs merged, a very famous Uruguayan football star, Isabelino Gradín, played for the Olimpia team.
River Plate's Best League Seasons
River Plate reached its highest league position in 1992. Players like Osvaldo Canobbio, Juan Ramón Carrasco, Diego López, and Edgardo Adinolfi were part of the team. Víctor Púa was their coach.
In 1997, River Plate finished third overall. They were just a few points behind Peñarol and Defensor Sporting. Fernando Morena was the coach then. Some great players like Hernán Rodrigo López, Pablo Gaglianone, and Gustavo Díaz grew up playing for River Plate during this time.
Another fantastic season was 2007/2008. River Plate finished second in the annual standings. Juan Ramón Carrasco was the coach again. Key players included Robert Mario Flores, Pablo Tiscornia, Henry Giménez, and goalkeeper Álvaro García. They had big wins against Peñarol (6–3) and Defensor Sporting (5–1). Their biggest win was 7–0 against Rampla Juniors.
River Plate's International Journey: Copa Sudamericana
River Plate had its best international performance in the 2009 Copa Sudamericana. This is a big tournament for South American clubs. Coached by Juan Ramón Carrasco, they made it to the semifinals! They beat Vitória and San Lorenzo. They were finally knocked out by LDU Quito. Only a few other smaller Uruguayan clubs have reached the semifinals of such a major international competition.
Recent Years and Copa Libertadores Debut
From 2011 to 2015, Guillermo Almada was the coach. During these years, River Plate often finished in the top six. This helped them qualify for important CONMEBOL tournaments. Some key players were Michael Santos, Damián Frascarelli, and Felipe Avenatti.
The biggest moment was qualifying for the 2016 Copa Libertadores. This was the first time in the club's history! They played against teams like Rosario Central and Palmeiras. They drew three games and earned three points, finishing last in their group.
After Almada left, Juan Ramón Carrasco returned as coach from 2015 to 2016. Later, Jorge Fossati coached from 2019 to 2021. Under Fossati, River Plate reached the third stage of the 2020 Copa Sudamericana. They even beat Atlético Nacional, a strong Colombian team. They were eliminated by Universidad Católica on away goals.
In April 2021, Gustavo Díaz became the head coach. The club finished eighth in the league again. They also qualified for the Copa Sudamericana. However, they had a tough time in the 2022 Copa Sudamericana. They finished last in their group, which led to Gustavo Díaz leaving his coaching role.
River Plate's Statistics
Where River Plate Plays and Trains
Parque Federico Omar Saroldi: Their Home Stadium
River Plate usually plays its home games at Estadio Saroldi. This stadium is in the Prado neighborhood of Montevideo. It can hold 6,000 fans and has one of the best fields in the league. The stadium was first called "Olimpia Park." It was the home of the Olimpia club before they merged with Capurro.
Villa Colón Sports Complex: Where They Train
The club also has a great training facility called the Villa Colón Sports Complex. It's located in the Villa Colón neighborhood, northwest of Montevideo. This complex has six football fields. It also has a base camp for the first team, locker rooms, dorms, fitness centers, and health services. It's known as one of the best-equipped training camps in Uruguay. It opened in August 1999.
River Plate's Uniform
River Plate's home uniform looks like the one worn by the older River Plate F.C. club, which no longer exists. Their away kit is sometimes a light blue (sky blue) jersey, black shorts, and socks. This light blue kit is very special. The Uruguay national football team adopted it in 1910! They did this to honor the old River Plate F.C. That team had beaten Alumni, which was the best team in the Americas at the time. So, the famous "celeste" (sky blue) jersey, known worldwide, came from River Plate's away kit. Before 1910, Uruguay's national team wore different colors, like dark blue or green.
How Their Kit Has Changed Over Time
        1932
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1994
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1996
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1996 away
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 2001
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2005 away
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2006 away
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     2012–2016
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    2012–2016 away
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     2016-present
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River Plate's Football Rivals
River Plate is located in the same neighborhood, Prado, as two other football clubs: Bella Vista and Montevideo Wanderers. These three clubs have a long-standing rivalry. Matches between them are known as the "Clásico del Prado" (Prado Derby). In recent years, River Plate has often won these derby matches against both rivals.
Meet the Players: First Team Squad
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Players on Loan
Sometimes players go to other teams for a while to get more playing time. This is called being "on loan."
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Who Has Coached River Plate?
Here is a list of some of the coaches who have led the River Plate team over the years:
Ondino Viera (1936–37)- Roque Máspoli (1968)
- Sergio Markarián (1981)
- Aníbal Ruiz (1984–assistant)
- Fernando Morena (1989)
- Víctor Púa (1990–93)
- Sergio Markarián (1993)
- Jorge Fossati (1993–95)
- Wilmar Cabrera (1996)
- Fernando Morena (1996–98)
- Adán Machado (1998–99)
- Carlos Linaris (1999)
- Julio César Antúnez (1999–00)
- Adán Machado (2000)
- Santiago Ostolaza (2001)
- Ricardo Ortíz (2001)
- Fernando Morena (2003)
- Martín Lasarte (2003–04)
- Pablo Bengoechea and Oscar Aguirregaray (2005–06)
- Juan Ramón Carrasco (1 Jan 2006 – 1 May 2010)
- Eduardo Del Capellán (1 July 2010 – 16 Nov 2010)
- Carlos María Morales (Nov 2010 – April 2011)
- Guillermo Almada (5 April 2011 – 15 June 2015)
- Juan Ramón Carrasco (17 June 2015 – 26 September 2016)
- Pablo Tiscornia (27 September 2016 – 26 December 2016)
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Julio Avelino Comesaña (26 December 2016 – 13 March 2017) - Pablo Tiscornia (14 March 2017 – 24 August 2018)
- Jorge Giordano (27 August 2018 – 9 June 2019)
- Jorge Fossati (12 June 2019 – 2 April 2021)
- Gustavo Díaz (4 April 2021-)
River Plate's Trophies and Wins
National Titles
- Torneo Preparación
- Winners (1): 2012
- Copa Integración
- Winners (1): 2012
- Segunda División (Second Division League)
- Winners (6): 1943, 1967, 1978, 1984, 1991, 2004
Friendly Tournament Wins
- Copa Aerosur Internacional
- Winners (1): 2010
See also
In Spanish: Club Atlético River Plate (Uruguay) para niños
