Independiente kept their very slim title challenge alive with a superb performance in Avellaneda against Newell’s Old Boys. Playing with 10 men since the 31st minute, after Víctor Cuesta was shown a second yellow card, Jorge Almirón’s side still produced the clearer chances and after a number of missed opportunities up stepped El Rojo’s player of the tournament, Federico Mancuello. The 25-year-old midfielder plucked the ball out of the sky before skipping between three Newell’s defenders and slotting the ball past Oscar Ustari for his tenth goal of the season. While the win, at least mathematically, means Independiente can still win the title, that looks almost impossible. However, it did mean that El Rojo qualified for the 2015 Copa Sudamericana, a tournament that they won in 2010, and so for a first season back in the Primera, this campaign can be viewed as nothing other than a success.
Earlier in Bajo Flores, San Lorenzo played their final match in the Nuevo Gasómetro before heading to Morocco for the World Club Championships, and they signed off with their most convincing win of the season, a 4-0 win over Estudiantes. After a goalless first half, El Ciclón were given a helping hand by the officials just after the break when a penalty was awarded for a foul on Enzo Kalinski while the challenge actually occurred outside the box. Needless to say, Néstor Ortigoza tucked the resulting spotkick away, before Mauro Matos rifled in a long range strike to put the result in no doubt. Ortigoza then scored his second penalty of the day (this time correctly given) and in the 88th minute Julio Buffarini thumped in an indirect freekick from the edge of the box. A timely confidence boost for San Lorenzo, who have found things hard going since lifting the Copa Libertadores trophy, but still a concern over what a full strength Real Madrid could do to this side.
golazo argentino 