Primera División Argentina

Taking season in the peculiar Argentine sense of one six-month period, River Plate's campaign in the second half of 2014 has been extraordinarily punishing. As well as pushing for the Transicion title right up to the last match, the Millonario have added another 10 games to their schedule with a run to the Copa Sudamericana final. 

New coach Marcelo Gallardo has done wonders to keep a tiny squad pushing forward, even with the liberal use of reserves and youngsters in some clashes. But the physical wear and tear has been evident all the same, as a team that lit up Argentina and South America in the opening months of the season with a high-pressing, attacking football has struggled to maintain their tempo. 

Even as rivals Racing Club overtook them domestically, however, River have never lost touch. And while a two-point deficit going into the Transicion decider may be a bridge too far, the Nunez giants are undoubtedly in pole position for continental honours after a battling Sudamericana draw with Atletico Nacional. 

The final's first leg was played in incredibly hostile conditions for Gallardo's men. Just one day after keeping their hopes alive in the league with a 3-2 thriller over Banfield, River were on the long plane to Medellin to take on Colombian giants Nacional. The Atanasio Girardot was packed to burst with green-and-white-decked fans, with just a few hundred diehards representing the visitors. 

With a squad containing the talents of veteran striker Juan Pablo Angel, the brilliant playmaking prospect Edwin Cardona and former Velez youngster Jonathan Copete, Nacional were out to win. This they proved in a whirlwind of first-half activity. River had to dig deep, as they have done throughout the season, as the Colombians played them off the park in the opening 45 minutes. 

Finally Orlando Berrio used his immense pace to leave the Millonario standing, and his shot beat Marcelo Barovero in the 35th minute to put the hosts up 1-0. It appeared that the marathon of fixtures had finally caught up with River, who could not keep up with their fresher, apparently more motivated rivals. 

But River have not made it to the defining stages of two major competitions by luck. Once more Gallardo showed that if his team cannot prosper playing the high-octane game so effective this year, they can still pull through using the underestimated attributes of massive heart and determination. 

The Argentines came out a different team after the break; as did, admittedly, Nacional, who suffered an inexplicable drop in form following that devastating start. They still had to ride their luck, seeing the Colombians smash against the bar with a shot that, had it entered, would have sent the tie slipping away from the away team. But River hit back with an equaliser worthy of a cup final. 

Leonardo Pisculichi, the ex-Argentinos Juniors man signed in a big gamble to replace promising playmaker Manuel Lanzini, let loose with a venomous shot that defeated Franco Armani in the Nacional net, converting the Millo's first real chance of the match. It was a special moment, bringing the club back on level terms and leaving the second leg wide open. 

Next Wednesday, River and Nacional will meet again in the second leg held at Buenos Aires' famous Monumental stadium. It will be a different story. Gallardo's men will have the advantage of a whole week's rest, after the Argentine FA acceded to their request to postpone the final round of league fixtures. Having played badly in a hostile environment with all odds against them and still taken a result, it is hard to see past River as the eventual Sudamericana victors. 

But perhaps the best sign for the Millonario came in the last 15 minutes of play. The brilliant young defensive midfielder Matias Kranevitter was sent on after three months out to replace goalscorer Pisculichi, completing his recovery following a metatarsal break. The 21-year-old was key to the best River performances this year; before his injury, River had won six consecutive matches. 

Now the Tucuman native is back in the team, that all-action, possession-based style becomes much easier to implement. Kranevitter was the heart of River's finest play this year, and it is difficult to describe just how much of a boost his return represents. 

It will not be easy, of course. Nacional are packed with talent, and if they can score early in the Monumental, River will be under immense pressure in front of their own fans. But the late goal from Pisculichi in Medellin was priceless. The draw in the Atanasio Girardot gave River one hand on the Copa Sudamericana, now it is up to them to put in one more heroic performance and prove they are truly one of the best teams currently on the continent. 

Human pitch invaders? Throw them in the slammer. Animal field crusaders? Give them a Milk Bone and a medal.

It's a double standard to be sure, but there's no more welcomed distraction from a game than a furry beast on the field. We've seen everything from pine martens to squirrels and baby bears out on the playing surface, but a recent invasion by a puppy is making a strong case for most adorable field invader in recent memory.

Vaishali Bhardwaj of Metro brings us video of the incident, which occurred at Saturday's Argentine soccer match between Belgrano and Quilmes.

A small black dog trotted onto the field and immediately curled up at the feet of one player, who did the only thing you can do in these situations and scratched the pooch's underbelly.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and another Quilmes player gathered the animal and handed it off to a stadium employee. Note that even the referee couldn't refrain from giving the dog a pat on the head.

Our "Jerk of the Day" award goes to one Quilmes player, who appeared to yell at his teammate for not getting the dog off the pitch fast enough.

We could also give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he's angry he didn't get a chance to scratch his team's new unofficial mascot behind the ears.

C'mon, guy. Diego Maradona is disappointed in your callous stance. He knows dogs are for cuddling. Get with the program.

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After legendary coach Ramon Diaz walked out on Primera Division champions River Plate, there were concerns over the club's future. Luckily for Millonario fans, however, the man who followed El Pelado into the hot seat has taken to management like a duck to water. 

Former playing icon at the Monumental Marcelo Gallardo promised great things during a short spell on the bench at Uruguayan side Nacional. But in just a short time with River, the coach has shown his aptitude, forming a dynamic, exhilarating team that has swept aside allcomers so far. 

It is not hyperbole to suggest that Gallardo's River is one of the best local teams since the 2006 vintage Boca Juniors, fired by striking duo Martin Palermo and Rodrigo Palacio. With five wins in six, the Millonario occupy the summit of the Transicion championship, even having played one game fewer than their nearest challengers. 

Speaking to delighted fans, the phrase "Barcelona of Nunez" has even been heard, in a self-deprecating but partially justified evaluation of a side that presses hard, holds on to the ball and attacks with Exocet precision. 

At the heart of all this, moreover, is one of the hottest midfield talents Argentina has seen in recent years. Javier Mascherano remains a favourite around the Monumental for his performances as a youngster, but in Matias Kranevitter, the Barcelona titan may have a long-term successor in the Albiceleste engine room. 

The 21-year-old, born in the north-western province of Tucuman, was used as a rotation player by Diaz behind the likes of Leonardo Ponzio and Cristian Ledesma. But when Gallardo assumed command, he was thrown into a starting role. The results, to put it simply, have been spectacular. 

The youngster is no stranger to hard work. One of six brothers and sisters in the town of Yerba Buena, an area of Tucuman marked by ostentatious affluence sitting side-by-side with harrowing poverty, Kranevitter entered the workplace as a caddy on a local golf course at the age of 12, to put food on the table. 

Just like so many of his peers in Argentina, forging their characters far away from pristine football academies and sheltered environments, that sacrifice and commitment to succeed flows out of him when he takes the pitch. 

Kranevitter harries, unsettles, unbalances and hits hard in the middle of the pitch. He is the model of an Argentina No. 5, the defensive midfielder who shields the defence but also has the responsibility to carry play forward on the ground. Just like Mascherano, his distribution is rarely spectacular, but he almost never fails to find his target, pushing River back up the pitch. 

Even Ponzio, the man pushed out of the River first-team in favour of the kid affectionately known as Tucu, finds it impossible to hold a grudge.

The ex-Espanyol star labelled his team-mate the best No. 5 in Argentina during an interview with Ole (in Spanish), and it is hard to argue with him. He is not afraid to get involved in the dirty work, but precision is the key to his game, jumping in to pick up the ball and move it along with almost surgical timing and accuracy. 

Could Kranevitter be the man to succeed Mascherano as Argentina's midfield dynamo? There are unavoidable similarities between the pair, as well as a certain coherence to the timeline. In Russia 2018, Mascherano will be 34 years old while the current River star will have just celebrated his 25th birthday, ready to take on the world in his prime. 

Predictions are always dangerous. The next step for Kranevitter will undoubtedly be a trip across the Atlantic Ocean to a European club, something that has proved too much for all too many Argentinian youngsters tagged as future greats while in the Primera Division. But it is impossible not to get excited about River's new wonderkid. 

Mascherano cemented his place in Argentinian folklore with a frankly heroic effort in every single World Cup clash. Four years down the line, his successor at River and maybe the Albiceleste could be winning the same plaudits as Argentina look to go one step further and end their long wait for a third World Cup.