2024-08-29 11:22:41
The Argentine Cup is for anyone. Almost more than ever. A finalist will emerge from the bracket made up of Talleres de Remedios de Escalada vs. Huracán and Central Córdoba (SdE) against Temperley. The other, still incomplete, has Gimnasia waiting for the winner of Boca-Talleres already Vélez, who knows from this Wednesday that their quarterfinal rival will be Independiente.
The Red, who had just shown a super timid version in the Avellaneda Classic, was something else at the Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba and won 3-0. From the first minute they went out to attack Godoy Cruz and, despite his obvious shortcomings in defining, fate rewarded him in the 57th minute with a carom that ended in Santiago Montiel’s 1-0 (Bruno Leyes tried to clear and put it in the chest of the ex-Argentinos player, who went alone against the goalkeeper).
Vaccari’s team was far superior to Oldrá’s, although the disconnections between Santiago López and Montiel allowed the first half to end without goals. The team also made its contribution to the drought Goalkeeper Ramírez, with a great save on the line to a header from the Chilean Loyola and the refereeing team -without VAR- by annulling a sure goal play for Godoy Cruz on the end of the first half due to an incorrectly marked offside position.
Independiente secured qualification by taking advantage of the very poor retreat from Mendoza and, with two counterattacks, increased its advantage at 74 and 88 through Santi López and Tarzia, both pushing the ball under the goal.
Thus, in the midst of a weak institutional situation but with a somewhat stable football situation since the arrival of Vaccari (three wins, three draws and two losses), Independiente dreams of playing in the Libertadores again (the prize awarded by the Copa Argentina) and all the dollars that that means. It hasn’t done so since 2018 and it has only been three times so far this millennium (2004 and 2011 being the others). It’s three games away.