2024-09-23 12:09:36
Independiente drew goalless with Argentinos Juniors on Sunday in a poor match corresponding to the fifteenth round of the 2024 Professional League, which was played at the Libertadores de América – Ricardo Enrique Bochini stadium. Argentinos had two goals disallowed from striker Gastón Verón for offside. For the Avellaneda team, midfielder Federico Mancuello hit the crossbar with a header in the final minutes of the match.
The first chance came from Argentinos Juniors after 15 seconds of play, when left-back Román Vega advanced with the ball under control and played a back pass to midfielder Alan Lescano, who shot over the crossbar. Also, before the first minute of play, midfielder Francis MacAllister pressed, recovered the ball on the edge of the area and shot at goal, but his shot was not accurate.
The first of the goals disallowed came in the 19th minute. Midfielder Nicolás Oroz slipped a good ball through for Verón to run on, who beat goalkeeper Rodrigo Rey in a one-on-one, but was offside. Twelve minutes later, Verón would see a goal disallowed for the second time. Forward José Herrera put in a great cross to the far post from the right, which Verón headed in against Rey’s leg, but was once again offside.
The first dangerous play of the second half was for the team from Paternal and, once again, at the feet of Gastón Verón. After a good combination between midfielders Alan Rodríguez and Nicolás Oroz, the former Racing player set up Verón, who shot at the far post and forced a good save from Rodrigo Rey, to deflect the ball to the corner.
Independiente did not shoot at goal until the second half’s added time, when they had two chances. In the first minute of added time, midfielder Rubén Martínez shot from the edge of the area and the ball deflected off his teammate Federico Mancuello, ending up in the hands of goalkeeper Diego “Ruso” Rodríguez.
A minute later, the clearest chance of the match came. Midfielder Iván Marcone sent in a cross from the right that confused “Ruso” Rodríguez: the goalkeeper came out late and was beaten by the header of striker Santiago Hidalgo, who set up Mancuello but the experienced midfielder’s header hit the crossbar and went wide, in front of a goal blocked by two field players.
With this draw, Independiente is in fifteenth place in the Professional League, with 18 points, and in thirteenth place in the annual table, 2 points away from qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana. For its part, “El Bicho” remains in eighteenth place in the championship, also with 18 points, and remains in 9th position in the annual table, qualifying for the Sudamericana with 44 points.