Vélez Sarsfield became the latest top flight club to suffer an upset in this year’s Copa Argentina as Torneo Federal A club Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero secured a famous victory on penalties in Temperley.
Four Superliga clubs have already been knocked out and with Vélez looking short of match sharpness this early in preseason and lacking quality after the losses of Mauro Zárate and Santiago Cáseres, third tier Central Córdoba took advantage.
Renso Pérez’s back-post volley put Central Córdoba ahead after quarter of an hour but aside from Lucas Robertone blazing a clear chance over the crossbar, Vélez struggled to get back into the game.
With a little over ten minutes remaining a goalkeeping error by César Taborda gifted Matías Vargas an equaliser but Vélez couldn’t find a winner.
Straight to penalties it was Central Córdoba who kept their cool and so after Robertone scooped his effort over, it was left for César Taborda to save from Nazareno Bazán to seal the win.
Central Córdoba will play either Tigre or Guillermo Brown in the last 32 while Vélez manager Gabriel Heinze didn’t hold back after the defeat: “Without reinforcements, we will not be competitive.”
Elsewhere, Villa Dálmine secured their place in the next round with a penalty win over UAI Urquiza; River Plate or Central Norte lie ahead.