River Plate youngsters score incredible team goal to reach Messi Cup final
River will face either Palmeiras or Ajax in the final after edging out Atletico Madrid on penalties.
The second edition of The Messi Cup , a tournament organized by Lionel Messi to bring some of the best Under-16 club teams from all across the world, will come to an end on Sunday, November 1. The finalists are now known following Saturday's action: South American giants River Plate and Palmeiras will face off in the final.
Both River Plate and Palmeiras had to work for their spot in the final.In the semifinals, Palmeiras played a 3-2 thriller against Ajax , while River needed goalkeeping heroics in a penalty shootout against Atletico Madrid .
River's U-16 squad gave fans a stunning moment during that semifinal, even before penalties. The team put together easily the best team goal of the tournament , and one of the best ones you'll see, even from a senior side. Quick passing and deft touches ended in a goal that gave River a 2-1 lead in the first half.
River Plate runs one of the premier soccer academies in the entire world, so seeing this type of talent at such a young age is quite common for River fans. Still, it was a shocking goal that isn't even seen from the senior team these days .
The U-16 team will play their final on the same day the senior squad takes on fierce rivals Boca Juniors in the Superclasico . It could be an incredible day overall for River, a bittersweet one, or just a bad one. Time will tell.
