[photo via Tim Snell]

• by Joe Curtis, writing from Miami, FL

One of the two Argentine juggernauts, River Plate, will play in Argentina's second division next year after a 3-1 aggregate loss to Belgrano. Founded in 1901 and winners of 33 Argentine league titles, River Plate have played every season in the Argentine Primera División. River Plate's relegation is the equivalence of a Real Madrid or Barcelona relegation to Segunda División. A crowd of 50,000 watched the second leg of the relegation play-off today at River Plate's Monumental stadium. Fearing a riot after the 1-1 draw that sealed River Plate's fate Argentine authorities deployed about 2,200 police. Water cannons were used to control the crowd after the game. According to AOL Sporting News, about 43 people were injured in the mayhem following the game, some of them being police. Stadium seats were used by River Plate supporters as weapons. Half a dozen ambulances entered the stadium to work on the injured. The violence continued in the streets.

River Plate finished this season in 4th place with a record of 8-7-4, however, relegation from Argentine Primera División is not like that of the English Premier League, where the worst teams are relegated every season. In Argentina relegation is based on an averaging system. At the end of every season the two teams with the worst average record over the past three years are relegated, and the two with the best record over the past three years are promoted. The teams placed 17th and 18th in the average table play in a promotion/relegation playoff against the 4th and 3rd placed Primera B Nacional teams. River Plate did finish in 4th this season, but finished in 14th place last season, and finished 20th (last place) two years ago. That placed them at the bottom of the three year average, and in a playoff to star in the Primera División.

After losing the first leg 2-0, River Plate began the second with a Mariano Pavone goal to make it 2-1 on aggregate. Guillermo Farré would score the equaliser in the 62nd minute. Mariano Pavone would have the chance to tie it up from the penalty spot, but his shot was saved. River Plate would have stayed in the top flight of Argentine football if they had tied Belgrano on aggregate. Belgrano finished 4th in the Primera B Nacional.

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