Bartolomé Mitre and Saarminto de la Banda played out a 1-1 draw in the Winners Stage of the Torneo Federal A on Saturday. The result leaves both sides in the lower half of the table, though their trajectories are very different. By then, the visitors had already shown they could hold their own against the hosts.
There was little to distinguish the sides in the opening half. A yellow card for Mitre at the 40th minute was the only notable incident before the break. The home side had more possession, but the game remained tightly packed in the middle of the park.
And here's the thing about this match — the decisive moments came in quick succession after the restart. I. Garzon gave the hosts the lead at the 48th minute, a goal that felt like it might settle the contest. The home crowd shifted forward, but Saarminto did not travel to make up the numbers.
A. Klusener equalised at the 70th minute, and the game found its rhythm again. There was a yellow card for the visitors at the 86th minute as things tightened up. Neither side could find a winner, and the points were shared.
The statistics tell a story of two teams that stayed level in most areas. Mitre held 56 per cent possession and registered 4 shots on target compared to 2 for the visitors. Both sides had similar numbers of attacks — 98 against 95 — though Saarminto took more corners, 6 to 3.
For Mitre, the draw extends a run without victory. Six games, one point, five defeats — the table position has barely moved. Saarminto sits seventh with five points from six fixtures, a result that keeps them clear of the bottom three.
