When the referee blew his whistle to mark the end of River Plate’s home game with Velez Sarsfield last Sunday, the Estadio Monumental responded with a mighty roar. The 1-0 victory has put Los Millonarios within touching distance of the 2014 Argentinian Torneo Final title, which would be their first trophy since suffering the trauma of relegation to the second division in 2011.
The man who scored the all-important goal was Colombian striker Teofilo Gutierrez, who has played a vital role in pushing River right into championship contention with just four games remaining.
Speaking to TV reporters after the match, with his right ankle encased in ice and 40,000 fans celebrating around him, the 28-year-old forward chose to give a very close relative the credit for his rich vein of form: “I dedicate this goal to my grandmother, who’s celebrating her birthday today. The corn pancakes she makes help me score more and more goals every day.”
Talking to FIFA.com a few days earlier, Teo offered up another reason as to why he is in the form of his life: “The skill I have for the game and the joy I play it with are gifts from God. I know I can help my team out with a goal or a pass at any time and that gives me a lot of confidence in myself and in my team-mates.”
It was those same qualities that Colombia coach Jose Pekerman saw in September 2012, when he gave Gutierrez a starting place in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifier against Uruguay, ahead of Jackson Martinez and Dorlan Pabon.
It was not long before that international outing that Gutierrez, who always carries a Bible in his bag, showed a more problematic side to his character, during his first spell in Argentinian football, which was successful at first but ended with an unsavoury
