Sportivo Las Parejas held on for a 1-0 victory over Gimnasia Concepción in the Losers Stage of the Federal Tournament A on Friday evening. The result kept both sides in contention as the group phase tightened. It was a match decided in those opening exchanges, with the home side capitalising on a brief window of opportunity.
Ignacio Gonzalez broke the deadlock in the 16th minute, and by then Sportivo had already begun to impose their rhythm. The goal came from a period where the visitors had not yet settled into a defensive shape. To be fair, they had not been pressed into a corner for long before the ball found the net.
The game settled into a pattern of controlled aggression after the break. Four yellow cards followed in quick succession — 41st, 66th, 75th and 79th minutes — as tension built around the penalty area. Sportivo managed the tempo and did not need to chase the game. By then the visitors had begun to look for a response that never materialised.
The statistics tell a story of possession without penetration. Sportivo held 56 per cent of the ball and registered 112 attacks compared to 121 for their opponents. Yet they finished with three shots on target while Gimnasia Concepción managed none. One mistake ends it, and the visitors had nothing to do all evening in the final third.
We had tipped the home side for victory, and the confidence level sat at 45 per cent. It was not a blind guess — Sportivo had won their last two league games and looked more settled in midfield than in previous outings. The forecast held up, though the margin was narrower than expected.
The result leaves Sportivo Las Parejas in fourth place on 12 points from eight matches, while Gimnasia Concepción remain second with 14 points. Both sides still have work to do, but the gap between them has not closed. The losers' stage is unforgiving, and every point matters now.
