Santamarina secured a 2-1 victory against Circulo Deportivo in the Losers Stage of the Torneo Federal A on Saturday evening. The result keeps the hosts in ninth place with six points from six games, while the visitors remain tenth on five points. And here's the thing — the match never looked settled, even after the second goal. The crowd roared them on as the home side pushed for a third, but the visitors held firm.
V. Barberini opened the scoring in the 34th minute, giving Santamarina the lead they would need. To be fair, the goal came from sustained pressure — 130 attacks compared to Circulo Deportivo's 90 showed who controlled the tempo. The home side had more possession at 60 per cent, but Circulo Deportivo earned five corners to Santamarina's two. The visitors worked hard to stay in the game after going behind.
B. San Martin doubled the advantage in the 60th minute, extending the lead and putting the hosts in control. By then, the visitors had already made a change, bringing on M. Benitez in the 54th minute to try and shift the momentum. The substitution didn't immediately change the pattern, but it showed the coaching staff were looking for something different. Santamarina were now two goals up and closing in on a win.
A. Devesa pulled one back for Circulo Deportivo in the 69th minute, giving the visitors hope of a comeback. The goal came after a yellow card in the 68th minute, and the visitors threw everything forward. By then, three yellow cards had already been shown — two for the home side and one for the visitors — suggesting the tension was building. But despite the urgency, the away side found no answer to the home defence.
The statistics tell a clear story: both teams registered five shots on target, but Santamarina had five shots off target while the visitors managed only two. The home side dominated possession and created more chances overall, even if they couldn't convert them all. Three yellow cards in quick succession around the 70th minute showed the match was getting physical, but no one was sent off. The visitors worked hard but couldn't find a way through.
The result means Santamarina stay in ninth place with six points, while Circulo Deportivo remain on five in tenth. Both sides have played six games, and the gap between them is narrowing. The visitors have drawn twice and lost three, while the hosts have only won twice and lost four. It's a tight table, and every point matters in the Losers Stage.
