Chaco For Ever edged past Los Andes 1:0 in the Primera Nacional regular season on Friday evening, a result that keeps both sides in mid-table contention. The hosts opened the scoring early and never looked likely to surrender their advantage, despite a frantic finish that saw Los Andes reduced to ten men.
B. Nievas had the game's decisive moment, finding the net in the fourth minute to put the home side ahead almost immediately. By then, Los Andes were already on the back foot, forced to chase the game from the opening exchanges. The visitors accumulated more shots but lacked the cutting edge, while Chaco For Ever were content to hold the tie in their own hands.
Discipline proved to be the defining factor in the second half, particularly for the away side. S. Valenzuela and F. Rodriguez picked up yellow cards before half-time, and the pressure told as D. Franco received two red cards in stoppage time. The away end never stopped, but with a man down they could only manage three shots on target compared to the hosts' six.
The statistics tell a familiar story: possession was evenly split at 50 per cent, yet Chaco For Ever's efficiency was far superior. They registered 148 attacks to Los Andes' 123, and while the visitors had more corners, the away side simply could not convert their efforts. The clean-sheet run came to an end for the hosts, but the result felt deserved given the control they maintained.
Chaco For Ever move up to 29 points from 27 games, still 12th in the table, while Los Andes remain on 34 points in 10th place. The draw brought them together early in the season, but this time the hosts had nothing to do all evening and made sure to take full advantage.