Villa Lugano came away with a match they had to suffer through more than the pitch suggested. Against Cooperativa Abasto, on matchday 10 of the Primera L del GBA Norte, the home side won 1–0 in a deserved but tightly fought result, the kind of victory that leaves the manager satisfied but without euphoria. Both teams came with the same idea: a balanced 4-4-2, with no desire to steamroller their opponents. What unfolded between the lines was a match in which neither side wanted to give anything away, where the full-backs worked harder than the midfielders and the centre-backs mattered more than aerial play.
Aaron Porras controlled the left flank with the composure he built in Merlo, meticulous in every challenge and avoiding unnecessary risks. On the right, 33-year-old Santino Fernández showed that he still has plenty to offer; he picked up a yellow card for impatience, something that does not weigh too heavily on a veteran from Comodoro Rivadavia. Toto Ferrari, just 17, played at centre-back without the usual pressures of his age: calm, with a cool reading of the game. Chacho Merlo up front did not have the match he needed to settle it earlier; he was shown a yellow card, reflecting the tension in an area where neither team was giving away space. Xavier Chamorro, the other centre-back, also saw yellow on a night when the officials were taking a strict line. For Cooperativa Abasto, Theo Álvarez in goal was not tested beyond what was reasonable; the hands that had saved him so many times in Comodoro did not have to work too hard. At 34, Chino Turi organised what he could from midfield, although the tempo never allowed an experienced midfielder to produce his best football. Raúl Marín at right-back for the visitors did his job without shining.
The decisive goal went to Villa Lugano, who knew how to take advantage of a situation the visitors failed to neutralise. Three deserved points, the comfort zone for a team that cannot afford slip-ups on matchday 10. Cooperativa Abasto return empty-handed, with the feeling that they were there, so close to taking something away, but it never came.
CJ Villa Lugano came in with 1 win, 1 draw and 3 defeats in their last 5 matches.
Cooperativa Abasto came in with 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat in their last 5 matches.
In the last meeting between CJ Villa Lugano and Cooperativa Abasto: 0 wins for CJ Villa Lugano, 1 draw and 0 for Cooperativa Abasto.
CJ Villa Lugano (4-4-2): Simón Bugliani, Aaron Porras, Toto Ferrari, Xavier Chamorro, Santino Fernández, Noé Molina, Tobías Vassallo, Jesús Parra, Oliverio Escalante, Chacho Merlo, Víctor Bettega.
Cooperativa Abasto (4-4-2): Theo Álvarez, Raúl Marín, Simón Bartoli, Cristian Basaldua, Polaco Zanchi, Santino Azkue, Santino Altzaga, Chino Turi, Maxi Scarpinato, Stefano Boldini, Genaro Yedlin.
In Primera L - GBA Norte, CJ Villa Lugano are in position 10 with 39 points; Cooperativa Abasto are in position 12 with 37 points. See the full table
CJ Villa Lugano, with 1,565 fans. Home ground: Estadio CJ Villa Lugano.
Cooperativa Abasto, with 1,583 fans. Home ground: Estadio Abasto.
Next match for CJ Villa Lugano: vs su proximo rival — Sunday 1 November at 01:00 GMT
Next match for Cooperativa Abasto: vs su proximo rival — Sunday 1 November at 01:00 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.