San Martín Mendoza held on for a 1:0 win over Deportivo Rincón in the Losers Stage of the Torneo Federal A on 16 August 2026. Both sides sat level on 11 points from six games before kickoff, so the result shifted the pecking order without breaking the pack. The hosts now occupy first place while Deportivo Rincón drop to second.
The decisive moment came in the 35th minute when San Martín Mendoza found the back of the net. They sat deep and soaked it up after that, content to defend their narrow advantage rather than chase a second. Deportivo Rincón had a few chances but couldn't convert, and the match settled into a scrappy rhythm.
Discipline held firm throughout, though tensions rose late on. A yellow card in the 72nd minute and another in the 78th minute suggested the game was getting tight, but no one was sent off. San Martín Mendoza closed the game out without taking unnecessary risks.
On the numbers, possession was almost even at 52 per cent to 48, but the shot tally told a different story. San Martín Mendoza registered four shots on target against two for Deportivo Rincón, while the visitors managed only three attempts off target compared to nine from the hosts. Plenty of attacks — 120 to 115 — but few that truly mattered.
The result extends San Martín Mendoza's recent form, which included a 2:1 victory over Sol de Mayo last Thursday and a 1:0 win against Santamarina eight days prior. Deportivo Rincón's run has been steadier, with two clean sheets in their last five games, but they couldn't find any rhythm here. One mistake ends it in a knockout stage, and neither side could afford to blink.