SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO (Special Envoy).- Estudiantes are the new champions of Argentine football. In a final of extremely high physical and mental exhaustion, which resulted in an at times dramatic spectacle for both sides, Pincha secured the equalizer after 90 minutes and remained in the penalty shootout. defeated Gustavo Costas’ Racing 5-4. The team of Eduardo Domínguez, once again a rider on the route of glory, They qualified for the next Copa Libertadores.
According to two teams with squads combining quality players and strong character, the final was exciting from the start high physical tension despite heat, friction and tension. At this point, Estudiantes de Domínguez tried to smooth out the classic Racing de Costas dynamic by looking as close as possible to Facundo Cambeses’ goal.
Racing, used to playing all-or-nothing games this season both locally and internationally, overcame the discomfort and had Duván Vergara as an unbalance factor. The Colombian, who won the title in the final stretch of the competition, opened the scoring by passing the ball between the backs of the midfielders and facing the opposition defenders. With him as protagonist, Racing had two consecutive actions in the 14th and 15th minutes, whose definitions, however, ended in the hands of Fernando Muslera and far from the left post, respectively.
With these approaches, Racing managed to distance Pincha from its penalty area and had 10 minutes in which it began to control the ball and also take territorial control. But at 24, a short header from Agustín García gave Basso Pincha a very real chance as Cristian Medina won the ball, advanced through the middle and opened the scoring Tiago Palacios, whose right cross went just over Cambeses’ horizontal line.
The academy goalkeeper would become a star in the 29th minute the best save of the game up to that moment, in an action in which the team was strongly stopped trying to advance in the opponent’s field, which was to be repeated in other following situations: Román Gómez recovered on his field, advanced and assisted in a hook position Guido Carrilo, who looked to smash the net but caught a great save from Cambeses, who covered the goal with his outstretched left arm to prevent it being 1-0.
Racing had these hot flashes when there was enough space between their lines, but when they won the ball they showed composure in distribution, with a very good turnout from Agustin Almendra. The former Boca, just like in the win against Xeneize at La Bombonera, played passes behind Gómez’s back to give Rojas the lead. And not only did he try to facilitate the ball, but he also recovered several balls because he was positioned correctly.
Santiago Sosa, who returned to the title, retreated to the defensive area when the case required it, but he was the one who tried to create superiority over the double five of with Juan Nardoni and Almendra Ezequiel Piovi and Santiago Ascacibar, the one who went furthest towards the enemy’s territory.
Edwuin Cetre He was watched by Facundo Mura for 40 minutes until he managed to escape and raised the first alarm of the night. The Colombian winger was called into action again a minute later following a drive from Carrillo, but his effort from the edge of the box ended up in the hands of Cambeses. Although Racing looked better for much of the first half, Estudiantes had the best chances.
The start of the follow-up was very similar, as Racing would suffer through a fault of their own: a poor performance from Colombo sparked a direct attack from Estudiantes in the 5th minute, in which Cetré Palacios opened, who ran over and served the goal to Carrillo: the 9 threw themselves at the door of the small area to define it, but the ball went incredibly far past the right post.
At the age of 15, Carrillo, who had already been reprimanded, became the protagonist of an action in which he clashed with Cambeses when the latter tried to hit back with his fists. The Racing goalkeeper was so ill that doctors had to treat him twice, so Gustavo Costas sent Gabriel Arias to warm up.
Racing had the ball but not the clarity, while Estudiantes relied on the formula that had led to favorable situations: Retreat to midfield and wait for a mistake. The tension, the value of fighting for a title and the fatigue all came together to make the game less intense near the goals.
Breaking through zero depended on a mistake or a stroke of genius. At 36 the second happened when Adrian Martinezafter being received in the wide field and squeezed by Muslera, he turned around, raised his head and, instead of sending a cross, hit the ball over the goalkeeper and defenders, whose attempt was unsuccessful near the line and they watched the great goal from the academic number 9.
The academy appreciated the title, until Carrillo, the other scorer, went looking for a center at 47 and he beat Cambeses with a powerful header to unleash the madness of his supporters and take the game into extra time.
The extension was characterized by nervousness and few emotions in the areas: Estudiantes had a goal that Lucas Alario couldn’t capitalize on, while Muslera parried Maravilla’s second goal after a headbutt and took the title fight to penalties.
Cambeses was the first to save when he blocked Cetré’s shot, but Muslera equalized by blocking Martirena’s shot in a series that was tied 4-4 after five shots. In the tiebreak, Facundo Rodríguez scored with a drama as the ball narrowly missed Cambeses. Pardo, forced to convert, crossed the goal and found the post, announcing the Estudiantes title.
Estudiantes, which was on the verge of elimination in the playoffs and was also in trouble against Racing (a team that played with heart on its sleeve and earned the recognition of all its people) in the 90 minutes, is the champion. The one who turned his back on Central today faces consecration again.
Race 1 (4)
(4-3-3)
Facundo Cambeses (8); Facundo Mura (6), Nazareno Colombo TO (5), Agustín García Basso (6), Gabriel Rojas (5); Juan Nardoni (5), Santiago Sosa (7), Agustin Almendra (6); Santiago Solari (4), Adrian Martinez TO (8) and Duvan Vergara (7). DT: Gustavo Costas.
Students 1 (5)
(4-2-3-1)
Fernando Muslera (8); Roman Gomez TO (6), Santiago Núñez (5), Leandro González Pirez (5), Santiago Arzamendia (5); Santiago Ascacíbar (6), Ezequiel Piovi (4); Cristian Medina (6), Tiago Palacios TO (6), Edwuin Cetré (5); Guido Carrillo A (9). DT: Eduardo Dominguez.
Goals: ST: 36 m Adrián Martínez (R) and 47 m Guido Carrillo (E).
Definition according to penalties: Race participants: A. Martínez; Vietto, García Basso and Sosa. In students: J. Sosa, Alario, Tobio Burgos, Meza and Rodríguez. They failed: Cetré (E), Martirena (R) and Pardo (R).
Changes: ST: 29m Joaquín Tobio Burgos (6) for Palacios (E); 30 m Tomás Conechny (4) for Solari and Adrián Fernández (5) for Almendra (R); 37 m Eric Meza (6) from R. Gómez and Lucas Alario (5) from Piovi (E); 41 m Gastón Martirena (4) by Mura and Franco Pardo (5) TO by Vergara (R); 44m José Sosa (6) from Medina and Gastón Benedetti (5) TO from Arzamendia (E); PTS: Facundo Rodríguez for Núñez (E), 10m Bruno Zuculini for Nardoni (R); STS: 14m Luciano Vietto from Conechny (R).
Referee: Nicolás Ramírez (good, 7).
Stadium: Mother of Cities (Santiago del Estero)
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