It was a necessity for Huracán
to get out of that swamp of four consecutive defeats
(three for the World Champions League, in which he had been undefeated, and one for Phase 3 of the Libertadores, which deposited him in the South American).
It is true that the result was urgent, but there was also another concern: the decline of his game after the draw in the classic against San Lorenzo (1-1, at El Palacio).
Aware of this context, Huracán came out to offer his best version.
And for several sections he succeeded.
After all, this 4-1, in its debut in group B, against Guarani, somehow turns out to be a clean slate.
The first half was patrimony of the Newbery Globe in almost all areas:
it had more of the ball, it was more precise, it was more ambitious and it arrived more frequently.
This time, coach Diego Dabove included Pata Castro as a starter to offer more fluidity to the game in midfield.
And he did it.
In previous games -played with 4-4-2 and balls- it was difficult for him to generate play and danger.
Not this time.
At 14 minutes, with one of his most valuable and most used weapons (the aerial game) he reached the goal:
Nicolás Cordero brought it down in the six-yard box to captain Hezze, who pushed it to make it 1-0
.
Portrait according to what was happening under the sky of Parque de los Patricios.
But four minutes later, the full-back Clar appeared from the left and sent a cross to the far post and
Santander did what he knows best: headed.
He beat the two very tall central defenders that Huracán has (both 1.90) and established the tie.
I had a feeling of injustice.
What followed was the same as at the beginning: Huracán trying to generate associations in the rival field and Guaraní narrowing spaces back.
Gudiño's intensity, Castro's driving, Gauto's threats and the always even performance of the central midfielder duo (Hezze-Fattori) dominated the scene.
The goal was missing, yes.
And it came: at 35, after a collective play and a rebound, the ball was left for Castro just outside the area and without a mark.
Great forehand and goal.
Two to one.
At that point, Huracán had what he deserved.
Already in the second half, Huracán tried to maintain what had made him superior in the first half.
In the first 20 minutes,
he kept up that pace and was even on the edge of scoring the third goal.
He had two very clear situations: a shot from Fattori that goalkeeper Muñoz sent to the corner and a high definition from Cordero from an unbeatable position.
The resources of the Paraguayan team were two: a ball to Santander for him to comb or head and a free kick.
Huracán was learning to control the main striker of Guaraní and Chaves was confident in the face of distant attempts by the visitor.
To make matters worse with a quarter of an hour to go, he was left with one less player due to the expulsion (double yellow) of Moya.
The last stretch of the game showed a Huracán betting on the counterattack, with more spaces
.
And Guaraní did what he could with what he had.
So until the end.
First, until that goal by Luján after a great run by Gauto.
Then, with the fourth, with a cry from Garro
.
And above all, until that relief that happens at a good time: it happens that the next rival will be River, the leader of the local tournament, on Sunday, in the same Palace from which the people applauded tonight.
