San Martín de Mendoza Held to Draw by Costa Brava in Torneo Federal A
San Martín de Mendoza and Costa Brava played out a 2:2 draw in the Losers Stage of the Torneo Federal A on Saturday evening. The match at Mendoza's home ground produced four goals across two halves, with neither side able to claim victory. Both teams remained in contention for advancement in the knockout format.
A. Lopez opened the scoring for the hosts in the 11th minute before F. Rivarola equalised for Costa Brava just two minutes later. I. Paz restored the visitors' lead in the 42nd minute, but R. Lentini brought San Martín back into the game with a 49th-minute response. The second half saw five yellow cards distributed between both sides.
M. Contreras came on for San Martín in the 31st minute as the hosts looked to build momentum. The match grew increasingly physical after the break, with bookings coming at 57, 65, 74, 76 and 78 minutes. Costa Brava picked up two bookings in five minutes in the closing stages, while San Martín showed more discipline with just one card.
The home side dominated possession at 62 per cent and registered 167 attacks compared to 133 for the visitors. San Martín had five shots on target and five off target, while Costa Brava managed four shots on target and three wide. The hosts earned three corners to the visitors' one, though both teams created similar opportunities in front of goal.
San Martín de Mendoza sit top of the table with 12 points from seven games, having won three, drawn three and lost once. Costa Brava occupy fifth place on 10 points with two victories, four draws and a single defeat. The hosts have not lost since their 1:2 defeat to Costa Brava on 28 June, while the visitors have struggled recently with back-to-back losses.
The draw means both teams advance in the Losers Stage with their records intact. San Martín extend their unbeaten run to five matches across all competitions, while Costa Brava avoid further damage to their form. The result keeps the hosts four points clear at the summit of the standings.
