Deportivo Rincón and Costa Brava shared the points in the Losers Stage of the Torneo Federal A on Saturday evening, the match finishing 1:1. It was the kind of result you expect when both sides have something to prove but neither is willing to gamble. By then the table already told you where they sat.
Carrasco gave the hosts the lead in the 14th minute, and Pipistrelli cancelled him out five minutes later. The game settled into a rhythm after that, neither side breaking the pattern. And here's the thing about matches like this — the first half decides who wants it more.
Five yellow cards came after that, at 22, 65, 65, 83 and 85. Two of them arrived together in the 65th minute, which always means the referee is looking for control. To be fair, the game never got physical, just tense.
Rincón had 65 per cent possession and 32 attacks compared to 24 for the visitors. Both sides managed just one shot on target. That is the problem with dominating the ball when you cannot finish — the statistics lie about who played better.
The hosts remain top of the table with 11 points from six games, while Costa Brava sit fifth on 9. A draw keeps both sides within touching distance of each other, which is how it should be at this stage.
We had backed Rincón to win at 46 per cent confidence. The match did not go that way, and it was the second half that told the story — the visitors were not going to break, and the hosts could not find a way through.
