“They are going to have to play all the games with 10”. With the classification completed, it will be a joke to celebrate all week for the people of Velezwho will play the final of the League Cup next Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in Santiago del Estero against the winner of Boca- Estudiantes, who play this Tuesday. He beat Godoy Cruz in San Luis with one less player due to the red card against Elías Gómez, he held on to the 0-0 with Argentinos also due to the even earlier expulsion of Braian Romero. And in prisons, after losing 10 of the last 11 definitionswon 4 to 2 and celebrated like it had not happened in a long time.
As in the last edition, the fourth classified team from zone A is in the final. Rosario Central was finally champion. Now, Vélez is on that path, with taste of feat. Why was classified on the last date with one of the only two possible combinations. They beat Independiente Rivadavia in Mendoza and Independiente and Talleres tied. In the quarterfinals, against Godoy Cruz, first in zone B and one of the best in the Cup, he was left with 10 10 minutes into the second half, when he lost 1-0. He turned it around with two goals from Romero.
When 14 minutes into the first half, referee Facundo Tello, after reviewing the play, decided to change Vélez’s center forward from yellow to red, there was euphoria among those from La Paternal and unease among those fortineros. Until that moment, Guede’s team had been more dynamic, in pressure, in possession and in arrivals. However, the reactions were inversely proportional. Until the end of the stage, it was Vélez who had the best situations to open the scoring, given the rival’s confusion.
So goalkeeper Diego Rodríguez became giant. Especially at 22 minutes, when after a corner, Liniers’ team had three chances in a row. Four minutes later, Damián Fernández won from the top, after another corner kick, but headed wide. At half an hour, Ruso Rodríguez responded twice more, first to a shot by Tiago Fernández from outside the area and then after the rebound that Pizzini took.
The Vélez players redoubled their efforts, like a week ago in San Luis. They were not able to define it, so as to face the final part more calmly. But in the situations it generated, the order of the team had a lot to do with it. A middle line that cut circuits, reduced spaces and a very firm line of four. Argentinos, blurred, failed to take advantage of that extra man, but they also had no ideas in the first 45 minutes to exploit the wings, beyond the change of positions of Herrera and Gondou.
Guede took note in the first half that something had to change. But he waited for the first fifteen minutes to unfold. Especially after Moyano’s pass, he broke lines and left Herrera in front of the goal, but the one who stood out this time was Marchiori, who put his hand just right and saved the corner. It was the first clear action that the Bug had in the game. Then Montiel, Verón and Alan Rodríguez entered to refresh the team against an already tired Vélez.
From there and until the end, it was a clear dominance of Argentinos. And after 25 minutes, Marchiori responded to a strong left foot from Montiel. El Bicho forced Vélez to fall further and further behind and the only chance he had to change history was to make some counterattack after the entry of Lenny Lobato. AND the grandson of the star Nélida Lobato, born in Buzios, Brazil, had the best chance in the 32nd minute and the Russian Rodríguez saved again from below. He would have his revenge by converting the decisive penalty.
Vélez held out for the last 15 minutes. Argentines, desperate, reiterated in centers to Gondou, who had won in Montiel, but was then well controlled, especially by Valentín Gómez. As happens in this type of situation, there were merits of Quinteros’ team but also failures of Guede’s team, who since they beat Nacional of Paraguay 3 to 2 on April 2, were no longer so forceful: they lost 3-0 with Racing de Montevideo, they tied four games (they won one on penalties and lost the other) and beat Corinthians by the minimum.
On Sunday, Vélez will play a final again after 10 years. The previous one was for the Argentine Super Cup, against Arsenal, in San Luis, on January 30, 2014. They won 1-0 with a goal from Héctor Canteros. A year earlier, in Mendoza, they beat Newell’s 1-0 in the season finale with a goal from Oso Pratto. They were his last two titles. Now he will seek to take a new Olympic turn.