Águilas Fight Back to Draw with Challenging Chicks
Riobonigro Águilas played out a 2:2 draw with Chico in the eighth round of the Clausura phase of Primera A on Saturday evening. The home side had been trailing twice before finding an equaliser late on, salvaging a point that maintains their position in the middle of the table.
Chico started brighter than their record suggested and took a surprise lead in the 42nd minute when J. Pimentel found the net. To be fair, they looked comfortable for a spell, and just two minutes later S. Salazar doubled their advantage before the break. Águilas responded immediately at the restart, bringing on three players including A. Vasquez and I. Rojas in a bid to get back into the game.
The home side pressed forward and eventually got their reward in the 63rd minute when R. Marquez converted a penalty to level things up. By then the momentum had shifted, and Águilas were clearly the team pushing for a winner. They got it in the 84th minute through A. Mosquera, who had been waiting for his moment all evening.
The statistics tell the story of who dominated possession but not necessarily who created the better chances. Águilas held 83 per cent of the ball and registered six shots on target alongside three off target, while Chico managed just three shots on target with none off target. The visitors were clinical with what they had, and here's the thing about draws like this — one side controls the ball while the other takes their chances.
Águilas remain in 12th place with 26 points from 19 games, sitting above the drop zone but nowhere near the top four. Chico sit 18th with 17 points and 12 defeats, a position that makes every point increasingly valuable. The home side's recent form has been mixed with two draws and two wins in their last five, while Chico have lost four of their last five league matches.
Three yellow cards were shown in the second half, with J. Pimentel and S. Salazar cautioned for the visitors and F. A. Suarez Chalare booked late on for the hosts. Águilas had nine corners compared to Chico's two, reflecting the one-sided nature of the territorial battle. The final whistle brought relief more than celebration for both sets of supporters.