Chaco beat 26 de Febrero 3:2 in the second round of Nacional B on Friday evening. The match took place at the home ground of the hosts, who had not yet recorded a single point in the standings before kickoff.
Both sides arrived with empty tables behind them — three and fourth place respectively, zero games played, zero points. The positions meant nothing yet, but the result on the night gave Chaco something to build on after a string of heavy defeats.
Chaco's recent record told a grim story. They had lost 1:4, 1:5 and 0:6 in their three previous outings, with two draws to cushion the blows. 26 de Febrero, by comparison, had just won 2:0 against Isca Nacional. That form line made the visitors look the stronger side before a ball was kicked.
What happened on the pitch told a different tale. Chaco scored three goals while 26 de Febrero managed two. The hosts took all three points, moving off the bottom of the table in spirit if not in name. By then the early season uncertainty had been replaced by a simple fact: one team had started the campaign with a win.
The result leaves both sides level on points, though Chaco sit top of the unofficial leaderboard after their first outing. 26 de Febrero have a game to make up for the loss they did not expect. The season is barely underway, and the table will look very different by the time the next round arrives.