Santa Fe President Takes Aim at Thiago Almada: "Hopefully He Plays Like He Did Here" Ahead of Copa Sudamericana Second Leg

A scoreless draw that left no one fully satisfied, and a comment that landed right where it stung most. That's how River arrives at the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 against Independiente Santa Fe, with its focus on the Monumental but with an extra storyline that crept in during the week: the Colombian club's president decided to take a shot at Thiago Almada.

Marcelo Gallardo's team managed to move past a bitter draw against Velez and is now fully locked in on settling the tie against Santa Fe, which remains wide open after the 0-0 in Bogota. Against that backdrop, Eduardo Mendez, the Colombian club's president, spoke with TyC Sports and didn't hold back when discussing the Millonario's star signing.

Almada, a World Cup champion with the Argentine national team, had an unusual start at his new club: he made his debut against Argentinos Juniors, and in Colombia he only came on in the second half, still managing his minutes after several weeks without official competition. It was precisely that adaptation process that prompted Mendez's dig, dressed up as a wish of good luck laced with irony.

Let's hope he keeps it up, and hopefully next Wednesday he plays the same way he played here. We wish him the best, but for now, let him keep playing the way he did here.Eduardo Mendez

The club official tried to soften the comment afterward, clarifying that he doesn't like "talking about people" when they're not present, though the remark had already landed. He was also clear about his team's intentions for the second leg: "they will go to Buenos Aires to play to win," he stressed, making no effort to hide his ambition despite the budget gap between the two clubs.

A Match That Slipped Away and a Wound From 2021

Mendez also looked back on the scoreless first leg and didn't hide a bit of sporting frustration: he felt Santa Fe "should have and could have won" that match, though he preferred not to dwell on it further. He also spoke about the financial gap between the two squads, something that always creates contrasts in South America when a major club from the region faces an Argentine team that has just brought in names like Almada.

There's something else hovering over this tie: the memory of the 2021 Copa Libertadores, when Santa Fe was eliminated on penalties by River, with Enzo Perez emerging as an unlikely hero in goal. Mendez admitted that at the Colombian club "there's still a bit of a sting" from that night, but chose to look ahead with hope of pulling off an upset at the Monumental, just as they once did in Bogota against that very same Millonario.

River, meanwhile, knows a scoreless draw means it must come out looking for the result from the opening whistle. With Almada edging closer to his best physical form and Gallardo searching for the team's best version after the league stumble, the Monumental awaits a decisive night where the words have already been said and now it's up to the goals to talk.