Ponzio’s touch at River: How the historic captain transformed the team in just two matches

Two matches have been enough for River Plate to look like a different team. With Leonardo Ponzio taking charge as interim coach, the club defeated Banfield and Independiente Rivadavia and began to offer supporters something closer to River’s historic identity.

Ponzio’s first major adjustment came in midfield. He abandoned the permanent double-pivot system, used Fausto Vera as a positional No. 5, freed Thiago Almada to play as a playmaker and positioned Tobías Andrada and Tomás Galván as interior midfielders. With Sebastián Driussi leading the attack, the new coach brought the team’s most talented players closer together and created more partnerships on the field.

The changes also altered River’s response during matches. Against Independiente Rivadavia, Ponzio took some time to make substitutions, but when he did, he avoided retreating into a defensive shape. He did not add a defender to form a back five, as Coudet had done several times. Three minutes after Juan Cruz Meza and Lucas Beltrán entered, Tomás Galván scored River’s third goal with a long-range strike after receiving Beltrán’s pass.

Ponzio continued to demand attacking football from the bench. After Alex Arce pulled one back for the Mendoza side, the interim coach urged his players to keep searching for a third goal rather than protect the lead. That approach has added to the sense that River is playing with greater conviction.

The club’s expensive reinforcements are also beginning to justify the investment. Ángel Correa had already shown flashes under Coudet, but his last two matches confirmed his quality. He can create openings when River is struggling, and his close control and bursts of speed make defenders foul him, including inside the area. Almada has proved a natural partner, while Andrada is increasingly finding passes from deeper positions to release both players. The sample remains small, but River’s new direction has already become visible.