Almeyda defends Trezeguet, regrets derby draw

River Plate's coach Matías Almeyda regretted once more the heart-stopping draw with Boca Juniors in the "Superclásico," held at the Monumental stadium for the first time since the local team returned to the National League.

The coach admitted he had a hard time to sleep, stating he had seen the match again and it reminded him that it was not the first time that the rivals tie only minutes before the end of a game.

Almeyda, who had assured that his team "deserved to win," defended forward David Trezeguet, harshly criticized by the press and some fans for his poor performance.

The coach defended his decision of leaving Trezeguet at the field and replacing Uruguayan forward Rodrigo Mora, who he qualified as the "star" of the game. He explained that he prioritized Trezeguet's height for eventual free kicks.

"Nevertheless, this change did not define the draw. River played better, we had more chances of winning," he continued.

"If (Trezeguet) would have left the field earlier, the second goal may have never been scored as it began in his feet," Almeyda highlighted as he admitted that the forward "is not playing as he did in National B, but is always helpful and I considered it like this for this match."