River winless in six heading into Argentinos clash with pressure mounting to snap the slide

Six games without a win, no goals through the opening stretch of the Clausura, and a Monumental that no longer hides its discontent. River heads into Sunday's match against Argentinos with real urgency to snap a run that has started brushing up against historic territory. And it's no ordinary matchday: the opponent is the leader of Zone B, the venue is Nunez, and Coudet is under serious pressure.

The team led by Chacho sits at the bottom of its zone after four rounds and has gone 360 minutes without scoring in the tournament, the worst goalscoring drought in the club's history at the start of a league season. The most recent defeat, a 1-0 loss to Tigre in Victoria, marked the sixth straight loss across league and cup play. It's also the first time River has lost five straight games in the Primera Division league, and the club has now gone 29 matches without coming back from behind.

There is, however, one factor that could work in Coudet's favor: for the first time in weeks, he had a full week of training without a match in between. An earthquake in Colombia forced the postponement of the first leg of the Sudamericana round of 16 against Independiente Santa Fe, which will now be played next week. With no trip to Bogota and no logistical wear and tear, the coaching staff was able to focus on fixing the team's play and testing new options. One of those options is Thiago Almada, who could make his debut this Sunday, giving the coach a different look right when he needs it most.

A Monumental that has run out of patience

The last time River played at home, it fell to Rosario Central on an own goal by Nicolas Otamendi. That night the stadium produced one of the strongest displays of discontent since the Coudet era began: whistles during the pre-match ovation, unrest at halftime, and chants against the club leadership late in the match. The complaints are no longer just about what happens on the field.

The contrast with the early months of his tenure is stark. When Coudet took over following Marcelo Gallardo's departure, River found results, energy, and came within minutes of winning a title. With a winning streak in place, the team's shortcomings stayed hidden. Now, without results, everything is exposed: the departure of 15 players sidelined by the club leadership, the so-called "container" group, thinned out the squad and left Coudet with fewer options to solve his current problems.

Coudet and Di Carlo, between self-criticism and the need to win

After the loss to Tigre, the coach didn't look for excuses and spoke directly about what's at stake this Sunday.

I know what River is, I know that going a semester without winning a title is going to be tough. The main thing is to put an end to this. If I see that results don't start coming, I'm not going to do harm to River or to the fans, or to this leadership that trusted me. I'm my own harshest critic, but we've been way too unlucky, we've lost games where we hit the post or had one or two shots on target.Eduardo Coudet

Club president Stephen Di Carlo, for his part, tried to ease the pressure of the moment without downplaying how serious it is.

What's happening to us isn't just about the last five games. We've been in a state of decline for quite a while now. We want to provide some calm in a delicate and complex moment, we're all in this together. This run is not acceptable for River.Stephen Di Carlo

With 23 matches in charge, 13 wins, 2 draws and 8 losses, Coudet's overall record still looks positive in cold numbers. But the current stretch has completely changed how his tenure is being read. On Sunday, against the leader of Zone B and with the Monumental as the stage once again, waiting is no longer enough: River needs an answer on the field before the fans' frustration turns into something even harder to manage.