Overview
- River coach Eduardo Coudet added Jonathan Spiff to the first-team squad for the Copa Sudamericana match after training him with the senior group.
- Spiff, 19, is a River academy product who joined at age seven and built a strong youth record that includes 19 goals in Sixth Division and regular minutes for the Reserve.
- Injuries to senior forwards and the need to protect players ahead of domestic fixtures pushed the club to call up juveniles and give Spiff a first-team opportunity.
- The forward made his official debut as a late substitute against Bragantino, showing his 1.87 m frame by contesting aerial balls and helping the team defensively in his first minutes.
- Spiff holds dual Argentine and Nigerian citizenship and trained with Nigeria’s U20s in 2025 without making the final squad, which keeps his international future open and draws attention from both nations as River advances youth talent.