Costa Brava defeated Santamarina 3-1 in the Losers Stage round 8 of the Federal Tournament A on Saturday. The visitors moved up to fifth place while the hosts remain ten steps below them in the table. The match was decided by two second-half goals that stretched a narrow lead into something substantial.
Diego Sosa opened the scoring in the 54th minute, capitalising on a moment of space in the box. By then Santamarina had already accumulated pressure without finding the net, racking up 111 attacks against Costa Brava's 73. The home side held 60 per cent possession but could not convert it into a first-half goal.
Ramon Lentini doubled the advantage in the 74th minute after Costa Brava had weathered a sustained period of pressure. The visitors were more efficient in front of goal, registering eight shots on target compared to Santamarina's four. And here's the thing about this match — the home team dominated territory but the visitors took their chances when they mattered.
Jeronimo Gutierrez made it 3-0 in the 84th minute before Ariel Lopez scored a late consolation in the 87th. The result meant Costa Brava extended their unbeaten run to four games, while Santamarina suffered their sixth defeat in eight matches. The home side had three yellow cards by the final whistle, a sign of the frustration building as the match slipped away.
To be fair, the statistics tell only part of the story. Santamarina won seven corners to two and enjoyed possession for the majority of the game, yet Costa Brava's clinical finishing proved decisive. The visitors now sit seven points clear of their opponents in the standings.
