Acuna goes 'crazy', River Plate loses face

River Plate was bitterly eliminated from the Club World Cup. On the morning of June 26, Inter defeated River Plate to win a ticket to the round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™.

The 0-2 defeat to Inter Milan in the final match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ group stage not only ended River Plate's journey in the tournament, but also ended it on a disappointing note. Marcos Acuna was furious, rushing at Denzel Dumfries as if he was taking revenge for a personal grudge, not as a player playing for one of the biggest clubs in South America.

On a night when River should have left the tournament with their heads held high, Acuna found himself at the center of an unforgivable outburst. And with it, an entire team lost their honor in the moment of farewell.

During the 90 minutes of play, Acuna did not play poorly. On the contrary, this left-back is probably one of the few names on River playing at a high level.

He fought hard, locked down Dumfries - Inter's key man on the right - and showed precision in every pass. It was an energetic performance, true to the "warrior" nickname "Huevo" - but that same fire, unchecked, became the source of a terrible ending.

The ugly scene unfolded, with Acuna being heavily criticized.

When the final whistle blew, River Plate were officially eliminated from the group stage. A painful outcome, but not surprising.

Instead of keeping a good image with his teammates, Acuna chose to vent his anger on his opponent. He rushed straight towards Dumfries amid chaos from teammates, opposing players and security forces.

That image - a national player, a 2022 World Cup champion, being wrestled to the ground by his teammates to stop a fight - is a stain that will be difficult to wash away for a player who should be an example of courage and discipline.

Ironically, the stands still chanted “Olé, olé, Huevo, Huevo” as if he were an unyielding hero in defeat. But in fact, it was a false cheer, turning a shameful act into something to be celebrated.

It is understandable that Acuna plays with emotion, that he refuses to leave the game in silence. But professional football does not allow for actions that go beyond the limits, especially on the world stage, where all eyes are on you.

Teammates had to hug and stop Acuna.

We might ask: Why would an experienced player like Acuna - who has fought in La Liga, and reached the top of the world with Argentina - lose control so easily? The answer probably lies in the pressure of wearing the River Plate shirt and the high expectations from the fans.

But pressure cannot be an excuse to turn the football field into a boxing ring. Acuna failed, not as a player, but as a leader, as a symbol.

River’s Club World Cup exit was not just a group stage exit – something all too familiar to South American clubs when facing European giants. What was regrettable was the way they left the tournament: lacking control, lacking character, and above all, losing their original identity – the noble spirit of a team that once thrilled the continent.

Somewhere, people still try to praise Acuna for his fighting spirit, for not accepting defeat. But true fighting is not about getting angry after a match, but about the ability to stay calm to continue going forward, to continue winning the next time. And Acuna, unfortunately, did not show that.

The 2025 Club World Cup ended in defeat for River Plate, and the final image that remained was of a player fuming rather than a team holding their heads high. Marcos Acuna - despite his good performance - distorted that farewell. And that was the biggest failure.

Source: https://znews.vn/acuna-noi-dien-river-plate-mat-mat-post1563800.html