Colón, the only side to break the “curse of the first” | OneFootball

Rosario Central seemed destined to be the exception. They were the best team of the 2025 Clausura, dominated the overall standings with authority, and reached the quarterfinals backed by an impeccable season. But on Sunday, November 23, at the Gigante de Arroyito, their campaign crumbled in a single play: Estudiantes beat them 1-0 and eliminated them without answers. Once again, the leader was knocked out before the final. And once again, Colón emerged as the only one capable of shattering that myth.

A pattern that doesn’t stop

The dynamic repeats itself tournament after tournament: the team that leads the first phase fails to claim the title. Vélez, Racing, Estudiantes, Huracán, River, Godoy Cruz, Argentinos and now Rosario Central have all gone through the same disappointment. The wear and tear of maintaining a high level of performance over many matches, the weight of obligation, or the unpredictability of a knockout game left them empty-handed.

Since this format was adopted in 2021, only one team has achieved what no one else could: lead the overall standings and then win the title. That was Colón, with Eduardo Domínguez at the helm. The Sabalero overcame Talleres in the quarterfinals on penalties, knocked out Independiente, and then convincingly thrashed Racing on a historic night in San Juan.

That title not only represented the club’s first championship in its history. It also marked a distinction that, as the years go by, far from fading, has only grown stronger. Because every elimination of a leader revalues what that Colón side achieved by maintaining consistency, but also by having the personality to win where others faltered.

Rosario Central, proof of how difficult it is

What happened to the Rosario team was not just another fall. They had the play, the character, and the numbers. But they failed at the decisive moment, like the rest. And every time that happens, Argentine football looks once again toward Santa Fe.

Colón achieved what now seems impossible. They broke a logic that affects everyone and that already has a name: the curse of the first. And as long as no one else breaks it, their 2021 star will continue to shine with a special strength, not only for what it meant, but for what no one else has been able to repeat.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.