Liverpool Montevideo took three points from Progreso in a Primera Apertura encounter that finished 3-2 at Estadio Parque Alfredo Víctor Viera on Saturday. Santiago Milano Larrosa opened the scoring before Diego Zabala struck twice to secure the win. Gastón Silva's late reply kept Progreso in the contest until the final whistle, though it was too little too late.
The first half belonged to the hosts. Milano Larrosa found space in the box at the 38th minute and finished clinically to give Liverpool Montevideo the lead. Progreso responded with a substitution at the break, bringing on Nahuel Lopez for Gianfranco Trasante, and the newcomer made an immediate impact. By the 48th minute Lopez had equalised, catching the defence off guard.
The second half unfolded with Liverpool Montevideo controlling the tempo. Zabala broke the deadlock at the 82nd minute and added a second six minutes later to put the result beyond doubt. Progreso refused to lie down - Silva pulled one back in stoppage time at 90+2 minutes. And here's the thing: they let the game flow even in those final moments, which is why the scoreline looked tighter than it should have been.
Liverpool Montevideo registered 111 attacks compared to Progreso's 104, with possession split 53-47 in their favour. The hosts landed five shots on target against three for the visitors, though both sides showed similar inefficiency in front of goal. Four yellow cards each suggests a match that got physical without crossing into disciplinary chaos.
Five points clear of Progreso in fifth place, Liverpool Montevideo now sit comfortably with 31 points. The visitors languish in 15th with 28 points after 31 games, and they are running out of games to climb away from trouble. Their recent form of two wins in five has not been enough to turn things around.
We called for a home win at 60 per cent confidence, and the result confirmed that assessment. Zabala was a menace all night, proving once again that individual quality can decide these encounters when tactics alone fall short. The experience showed through when it mattered in the closing stages.
To be fair, the visitors had nothing to do all evening after the 67th minute, which is when the game really opened up. By then Liverpool Montevideo had already controlled the tempo, and Progreso simply could not find their rhythm. The gap will only widen if Progreso continue to drop points in these final fixtures.
