San Martín de Mendoza took all three points from Santamarina with a single goal in the 86th minute, closing out a 0-1 victory in the Losers Stage second round of the Torneo Federal A. F. Rivarola's finish proved decisive against a side that had controlled much of the territory.
The visitors arrived in better form, sitting top of the table with twelve points from seven matches compared to Santamarina's sixth-point tally. Their recent results showed resilience — three wins and three draws had kept them in the mix, while the hosts were grinding through a difficult patch.
And here's the thing about how the game played out. Santamarina registered 109 attacks against 75, kept 55 per cent possession, and managed four shots on target to their opponents' three. They pushed forward with purpose but found themselves unable to convert territory into something tangible.
Come the 77th minute, a yellow card arrived for the home side, a small but telling marker of frustration building. By then the visitors had grown into the game, their discipline evident in the comparison of cards — one for Santamarina, none for San Martín de Mendoza.
Rivarola's goal in the 86th minute came at a moment when the hosts' legs were beginning to show. Three shots on target for the visitors, two off target, and they needed only one to find the net. The rest was noise.
The result leaves San Martín de Mendoza still leading the standings at twelve points, while Santamarina remain rooted in tenth place with six points from seven games. Sometimes a match is decided by a single moment, and everything else is just the background.