River held firm after Martínez Quarta red, draw in Sudamericana opener | OneFootball

Eduardo Coudet’s team played almost the entire match a man down after Martínez Quarta was sent off. Sebastián Driussi opened the scoring, but Blooming secured the final 1-1 draw in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

In a debut marked by adversity, River Plate drew 1-1 with Blooming on Matchday 1 of Group H in the 2026 Copa Sudamericana. The match, played at the Ramón Aguilera Costas Stadium, forced the “Millonario” into an extreme physical and tactical effort after being reduced to ten men almost as soon as the game began.

An uphill start and Driussi’s quality

Eduardo Coudet’s game plan was disrupted just 3 minutes in. A foul by Lucas Martínez Quarta as the last man on Bayrón Garcés resulted in a straight red card, leaving River a man down for 87 minutes. “Chacho” quickly had to sacrifice Ian Subiabre to rebuild the defense with the introduction of Germán Pezzella.

Despite having one player fewer, River did not give up its ambition. In the 34th minute, Fabricio Bustos sent a precise cross to the far post that Sebastián Driussi met with a volley. The ball struck the post and went in, sparking Argentine celebrations on Bolivian soil.

The second half and the home side’s equalizer

In the second half, the physical toll began to show. Seven minutes after the restart, Blooming took advantage of a lapse in concentration: a cross from the left beat goalkeeper Santiago Beltrán’s outstretched hand and found Anthony Vásquez, who only had to tap it in to make it 1-1.

River had a golden chance to regain the lead after a mistake by goalkeeper Braulio Uraezaña, but Facundo Colidio could not place his long-range shot on target with the goal at his mercy. Near the end, Beltrán emerged as a key figure by denying Moisés Villarroel’s attempts from distance, securing a draw that, given the circumstances, is celebrated in Núñez.

What’s next

With this result, River is in a good position at the start of the group. Its next match will be at the Monumental on Wednesday, April 15 at 9:30 p.m., when it hosts Venezuela’s Carabobo aiming to make this point earned in the altitude of Santa Cruz de la Sierra count.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.