Alumni Athletic Club
0 - 1
Sportivo Marcos Paz
770 fans in the stadium · gate receipts: $976,000
Match report
Sportivo Marcos Paz took a hard-fought victory from the pitch of Alumni Athletic Club in Merlo, in a matchday 6 fixture of Primera E - GBA Oeste that gave away no space but made it clear which of the two sides made the better use of its chances. The final 0-1 sums up an afternoon where the home side tried to press with attacking intent from the 4-2-3-1, while the visitors stayed organised in their balanced 4-4-2, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Alumni Athletic Club went looking for the match with Bautista Aguirre down the left, that winger who grew up in Merlo and knows every corner of these pitches where football is played from early on. Nicolás Vázquez, the attacking midfielder just 21 years old, had the responsibility of linking play in the final third. Behind them, Toto Jiménez, the 33-year-old goalkeeper born in the neighbourhood and with stories to tell, had to stay alert to Marcos Paz's attacks. The home side dominated periods of the match, but lacked depth in the final passes and finishing when they got forward. That was the story of the first half: plenty of intent, few solutions.
Sportivo Marcos Paz, meanwhile, came with some serious pieces. Mario Ortega, the 30-year-old midfielder who years ago travelled thousands of kilometres from Comodoro Rivadavia with a trial promise, was the one who found the way to break the deadlock. His goal, scored in the second half, settled a match that never lost its tension. Behind him, Ángel Rodrigo provided cover, another experienced midfielder with know-how and game reading, and Liam Toledo, that 16-year-old young prospect who plays in inherited boots but with a maturity that belies his age. Maximiliano Domínguez, the 32-year-old forward who arrived from Brazil, did enough to cause concern but failed to create any more damage. At the back, Toledo was a difficult obstacle for Alumni to get past cleanly.
Ortega's goal, then, was the difference on an afternoon where Marcos Paz made the most of its balanced mindset to avoid overexposing itself while looking for surprises from midfield. Thiago Zubeldía, just a 17-year-old youngster also born in Merlo, added youth and attacking movement for the visitors. Alumni did not collapse after conceding, tried to respond, but did not find the inspiration needed to level it up. Jiménez had to do his holding work in the moments when Marcos Paz could have added a second.
Sportivo Marcos Paz leave GBA Oeste content with three valuable points, the product of a low-key but effective approach. Alumni are left with the frustration of a match that could have been different if their finishing had been sharper in the box. In Primera E, these things happen: one team plays well and loses; another barely makes a proposal and takes the spoils. That is football in the region.
Form guide
Alumni Athletic Club came in with 1 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats in their last 5 matches.
Sportivo Marcos Paz came in with 2 wins, 0 draws and 3 defeats in their last 5 matches.
Head-to-head
In the last 2 meetings between Alumni Athletic Club and Sportivo Marcos Paz: 0 wins for Alumni Athletic Club, 2 draws and 0 for Sportivo Marcos Paz.
Full Alumni Athletic Club vs Sportivo Marcos Paz head-to-head →
Line-ups
Alumni Athletic Club (4-2-3-1): Toto Jiménez, Sergio Suárez, Mateo Ferrari, Emiliano Foyth, Diego García, Lautaro Méndez, Matías Vázquez, Bautista Aguirre, Nicolás Vázquez, Ángel Echeverría, Ricardo Bruno.
Sportivo Marcos Paz (4-4-2): Facundo Brandi, Benjamín Ríos, Nano Torrisi, Salvador Vienna, Liam Toledo, Hernán Aguirre, Mario Ortega, Ángel Rodrigo, Diego Castro, Maximiliano Domínguez, Thiago Zubeldía.
Where they stand
In Primera E - GBA Oeste, Alumni Athletic Club are in position 13 with 32 points; Sportivo Marcos Paz are in position 7 with 38 points. See the full table
Other results from matchday 6
About the clubs
Alumni Athletic Club, founded in 1923, from the Morón neighbourhood, with 1,042 fans. Home ground: Estadio Alexander Watson Hutton.
Sportivo Marcos Paz, founded in 1947, from the Marcos Paz neighbourhood, with 1,504 fans. Home ground: Estadio Marcos Paz.
Coming up
Next match for Alumni Athletic Club: vs su proximo rival — Saturday 31 October at 13:00 GMT
Next match for Sportivo Marcos Paz: vs su proximo rival — Saturday 31 October at 13:30 GMT
This match was played by two real managers on ELDT, the free online football manager game. Take your own club from the bottom all the way to the top flight.