Boston River produced a clinical display to beat Nacional 2-1 in the Primera Apertura on Sunday evening. The visitors, sitting 12th in the table, took all three points from Uruguay's 6th-placed side despite being dominated for large stretches of the game.
It was the away side who struck first when R. Botta found the net in the 51st minute. Nacional responded with pressure and equalised through an unfortunate own goal by M. Silvera just six minutes later. The defender was booked in the 56th minute before the mistake that brought the hosts level, and here's the thing — the momentum shifted entirely after that moment.
Boston River made it 2-1 when F. Munoa scored in the 65th minute, and they held on despite Nacional's relentless search for a comeback. The visitors picked up three bookings in the match, with N. Siri, J. Acosta and B. Antunez all seeing yellow cards. Nacional were shown just one — Silvera's earlier caution.
The statistics tell a familiar story. Nacional enjoyed 58 per cent possession and registered 124 attacks compared to Boston River's 84. But when you look at shots on target — three for each side — the difference becomes clear. The visitors were far more efficient with their opportunities, while the hosts saw plenty of chances go begging.
This result means Nacional extend their unbeaten run to just two games after that heavy 3-0 defeat to Tigre in July. Boston River, meanwhile, have now gone five matches without a win away from home, having lost their last three such fixtures. The draw brought them together early in the tournament, but by then it was clear these teams played very different games.