The very long path that the Federal A Tournament, in its 2024 edition, offers its 38 participating clubs to access the Primera Nacional began on Friday with three games and
with a controversial arbitration decision
that was crucial for the resolution of the match that
Sarmiento de La Banda beat Boca Unidos de Corrientes 1-0.
The Ciudad de La Banda stadium had been dressed as a party for the debut of the home club in Federal A, which was promoted for the first time in its history just 41 days ago.
The Corrientes cast arrived
at the
Cradle of Poets and Singers
, which has been active in this competition since 2018, when it lost its place in the Primera B Nacional after nine seasons.
The duel, corresponding to zone 4 of the contest, was not a source of aesthetic delight for the Bandeño crowd.
The local team was the owner of the initiative during the 90 minutes, but was powerless to violate the strong defense of the
team led by Raúl Estévez
, former forward for San Lorenzo, Boca and Racing, among others.
Zero seemed like the inevitable fate of the match until 43 minutes into the second half, after a hit from Julio Luques's field,
striker Santiago Bernal went to look for the ball in the Corrientes area and fell when he was matched by Santiago Chamorro
in a maneuver in which the contact seemed insufficient to cause the burly attacker to collapse.
However,
referee Fernando Reckers
awarded a penalty.
The decision of the Cordoba judge generated joy in the local public, but angered the visiting footballers and coaching staff.
The discussions lasted for five minutes
and as a result of them the Aurirrojo captain, Antonio Medina from Chaco, former player for Rosario Central, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and Aldosivi, was expelled.
📹 This is the penalty that Fernando Rekers took in favor of Sarmiento de La Banda, and with which the Santiago club defeated Boca Unidos for the first date of #FederalA.
Did it seem missing to you?
Courtesy: SDE Sports pic.twitter.com/EspeYTH8Tb
— Interior Futbolero (@InteriorFut) March 23, 2024
Once the mood had calmed down, at least partially,
Guillermo Guzmán scored the winning goal
for
El Professor
with a high shot against the left post of the goal defended by Lucas De León and behind which the stage that was going to be was still set up. to be used in February for the XXXII edition of the National Festival of La Salamanca, suspended due to the economic crisis that the country is enduring.
In this way, and beyond the irritation of the Corrientes team,
the team led by Pablo Martel celebrated its historic first victory in the third division of Argentine soccer
.
Sarmiento had achieved one of the five promotions granted by the Regional Federal Amateur Tournament on February 11, when he defeated Altos Hornos Zapla de Palpalá (Jujuy) 3-0 at the Bicentenario Ciudad de Catamarca Stadium.
That day, the referee of the match was also Reckers, whose performance was not questioned by the losers.
Guillermo Guzmán celebrates the goal with which Sarmiento de La Banda defeated Boca Unidos de Corrientes.
Photo: Instagram @clubsarmientolb.
Next weekend, the team from Bandeño will make its debut as a visitor in the competition: it will face Unión de Sunchales.
For its part, Boca Unidos will try to get rid of the sour taste that this setback left when it receives Central Norte de Salta.
In the other two matches of the first date of Federal A that were played on Friday,
Kimberley from Mar del Plata, another of the newly promoted
, beat Cipolletti 2 to 0 at home in zone 1 and Juventud Antoniana from Salta tied 0 to 0 with Crucero del Norte de Misiones through zone 4.