River Plate's Copa Sudamericana Dream Ends in Penalties as Borré Hits the Post Against Santa Fe

A shot off the post. Nothing more, but nothing less either. That was the story of the night for Rafael Borré, who arrived at the Monumental hoping to make an impact in the closing minutes and instead ended up as the face of River Plate's elimination from the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana at the hands of Santa Fe.

The match had been going the home side's way. Sebastian Driussi opened the scoring to make it 1-0, a goal that came after strong work down the flanks, with River's fullbacks pushing high and creating steady advantages out wide. Everything pointed toward River advancing.

But soccer has a way of turning on you. In the 62nd minute, Eduardo Coudet, now the club's former coach, chose to substitute Driussi, the goal scorer, and bring on Borré as a target man up top, looking to close out the game with more of a presence in the box. The move didn't pay off. During the half hour he spent on the field, the Colombian was barely a factor: no shots on target, no clear chances, almost invisible even as his teammates kept control of the ball.

The aggregate score ended level and everything came down to penalties. And not just any shootout: it took 22 kicks to settle a night that had already dragged on long enough. That's when the moment arrived that River fans will remember for a long time. Borré stepped up to take the fifth kick of that extended series. Convert it, and River would move through to the next round. He chose placement over power. The ball hit the post. A match point vanished right there, at the worst possible moment.

On the other side, Santa Fe made no mistake. Goalkeeper Weibmar Asprilla was the one who buried the decisive penalty that sealed the Colombian club's spot in the next round and sank a River side that was already in the middle of a soccer crisis, one that ultimately cost Coudet his job.

Borré, who had rejoined the club not long ago hoping to recapture old feelings, quickly became a target for fans on social media and around the Monumental after the match. The excitement of his return was left, at least for now, tainted by that ball off the post.

For Colombian soccer, though, the night will be remembered in a different light: Santa Fe's trip to the quarterfinals of the Sudamericana, secured in the home stadium of one of South America's biggest clubs.