After a three year absence from international competition, Independiente returned to action last night against Arsenal in the Copa Sudamericana. It isn’t the prestige of the Copa Libertadores, a trophy that El Rojo have lifted more than any other club, but a welcome return nonetheless. Caruso Lombardi’s Arsenal were their opponents in the second stage of qualification and despite both sides eager to progress, what transpired was a rather disjointed, drab game of football.
Neither side had really fashioned much of a chance before Federico Lértora gave Arsenal a spectacular lead. Hernan Pellerano thought he had cleared the danger when he headed an Arsenal free-kick away but Lértora controlled the ball on his head before smashing a volley past Diego Rodríguez and into the top corner.
Independiente had offered almost nothing in the opening 45 minutes other than a decent penalty shout and a miscontrolled chance by the usually dangerous Lucas Albertengo. After the break and the introducion of Cebolla Rodríguez, El Rojo began to look more of a threat and with twenty minutes remaining they found a vital equaliser. Youngster Julián Vitale drilled in a low shot from 25 yards to level the scores and provide the away goal – his first senior goal for the club.
The in-form Martín Benítez spurned a glorious opportunity to win the match but in truth a victory would have been ill-deserved. Neither side was particularly impressive and so ahead of the second leg in Avellaneda, Mauricio Pellegrino’s Independiente will probably be the more content with the result.
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