Velez Sarsfield and Boca Juniors played out a 0:0 draw in the Argentine Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday evening. The match went to penalties after 120 minutes and Velez Sarsfield advanced to the quarter-finals after winning the shootout.
The contest remained tight throughout, with neither side able to break the deadlock. Velez Sarsfield's D. Godoy saw his penalty saved in the 120th minute, but L. Blanco, K. Zenon, J. Garcia, S. Escobar, L. Flores, R. Aliendro and Carlos Palacios all converted their spot-kicks to give the hosts the advantage. Boca's E. Gomez missed their first penalty attempt.
There were several bookings along the way. M. Pellegrini received a yellow card in the 41st minute and R. Aliendro was cautioned in the 54th. D. Godoy and F. Herrera both picked up yellow cards in the final 20 minutes, while A. Montero was booked as time ran out.
Substitutions came in clusters. Miguel Merentiel came on for A. Veron in the 61st minute, followed by R. Martinez in the 70th. S. Villa entered in the 75th minute, and Velez made a double change in the 82nd minute with L. Robertone and M. Lanzini replacing their predecessors. A further pair of changes came in the 87th minute.
The statistics tell a story of cautious football. Velez Sarsfield had 49 per cent possession and one shot on target from seven attempts. Boca managed three shots on target from ten attempts while holding 51 per cent of the ball. Both sides created very few clear-cut opportunities — Velez one big chance, Boca two.
Velez Sarsfield had not won any of their last five matches before this result. Their recent run included draws against Deportivo Riestrа, River Plate, Defensa y Justicia and Boca Juniors themselves, plus a 1:0 victory over Independiente. Boca were unbeaten in their previous five, with results including wins against Lanus and Deportivo Recoleta.
The victory moves Velez Sarsfield into the quarter-finals of the Argentine Cup. Boca Juniors' campaign ends in the Round of 16 after a penalty shootout defeat they had been unable to escape from once the score went to spot-kicks.
