Argentinian football club River Plate were left with just 11 available players for their game this week against Colombia’s Independiente Santa Fe, after 20 PLAYERS tested positive for Covid-19 and the rest were ruled out through injury.
Featured Image VIA
Four goalkeepers were among those affected and a request to register their fifth and sixth-choice goalkeepers was rejected by South America’s governing body, CONMEBOL.
Did River Plate whine and cry about it or beg for the game to be postponed? Nope, they just fielded every available player they did have, including sticking injured midfielder Enzo Perez in goal, and amazingly – they won!
River Plate: 20 players tested positive for COVID-19, no bench or recognized goalkeepers available for a key #Libertadores match
Also River Plate: 2-1 winner over Independiente Santa Fe with an injured midfielder playing GK
🤯🤯🤯https://t.co/DbrmjbVACP pic.twitter.com/0ZyIOMGmGP
— Planet Fútbol (@si_soccer) May 20, 2021
Enzo Pérez es el MEJOR JUGADOR DEL PARTIDO. 🔝#Libertadores pic.twitter.com/GYasAnHDVa
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) May 20, 2021
Incredible scenes. What makes it even more amazing is that Enzo Perez is 35 years old and himself had a muscle injury, but seeing as he gets to use his hands they just threw him in goal anyway and hoped for the best. The fact he only conceded one goal and River Plate went on to win the game has to be one of the most impressive feats in football history.
What a quote from Perez to ESPN too:
My goalkeeper teammates wrote to me, I asked some things too, did some training with the goalkeeping coach and he gave me some advice.
With all the adrenaline I had I got a little lost and I always used the penalty spot as a reference.
A few Whatsapp texts, a little bit of practice, and he basically figured the rest of it out as he went along. What a way to turn up for your team! Pretty embarrassing for Independiente Santa Fe too. Might want to keep off the streets of Colombia for a while after that performance.
To watch highlight footage of the 126kg footballer currently tearing up the 2nd division in China, click HERE.
