Huracán’s season had started a week earlier and perhaps fuelled by the disappointment of that clásico stalemate against ten-man San Lorenzo, El Globo came out firing against Rosario Central. A rampant first 45 minutes saw Antonio Mohamed’s side deservedly lead the visitors but it made way for a fiery second half in which Central almost salvaged a point.
Lucas Barrios and his strike partner Lucas Gamba aided by the pace of Carlos Auzqui and Andrés Roa had been slicing through the Central defence from the outset and only a goalline clearance by Oscar Cabezas and a couple of smart interventions by Jeremías Ledesma had kept the scores level.
However, there was little the Central defence could do when Roa burst through in the 39th minute. Despite the Colombian pulling a hamstring in the process, Roa skipped round Ledesma to open the scoring before being replaced by Norberto Briasco.
Even the disruption of losing Roa didn’t stop Huracán and before the break Gamba pulled the ball back for the veteran Barrios to fire in his first for the club.
Likely to have been less than pleased by his side’s display Edgardo Bauza introduced Germán Herrera at the break and within four minutes the striker had pulled a goal back, pouncing on a rebound to volley into the net.
Agustín Allione would bend a free-kick against the crossbar, Herrera inches away from a second with another volley before all hell broke loose. Former San Lorenzo icon Néstor Ortigoza kicking the ball into the head of Walter Pérez as the Huracán player lay on the floor sparked a brawl which ended in the portly Paraguayan seeing red along with home captain Federico Mancinelli.
Ten versus ten and Huracán held on for all three points. A victory that keeps El Globo fourth and in the hunt for Copa Libertadores qualification.
Huracán 2 – 1 Rosario Central
In Victoria, the promedio table’s bottom two sides met in desperate need of three points and so Tigre snatching a late draw from the visit of San Martín de Tucumán did little to help either.
The visitors had shaded the first half but it was Tigre who led not long after the restart. Walter Montillo’s one-two in the penalty box opened the chance to square the ball for Lucas Janson to tap in from close range, the 24-year-old’s first since returning from last year’s loan with Toronto FC.
The lead lasted only minutes as new signing Rodrigo Gómez volleyed through a crowded penalty area to send a deflected volley into the Tigre net.
It got worse for Tigre with ten minutes remaining as Lucas Acevedo headed San Martín in front at a corner and although substitute Hugo Silveira bundled a late equaliser, El Matador look destined for the B Nacional.
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