Late drama: Malcorra sees red, misses last 16 vs Independiente | OneFootball

Ignacio Malcorra earned himself an absurd suspension this Saturday that Rosario Central will suffer at the start of the playoffs. When Independiente’s victory in Avellaneda was already sealed, the Canalla star—one of the few starters risked by Ariel Holan—got involved in a widespread brawl with insults and shoving, and was sent off by Sebastián Zunino along with the home player Gabriel Fernández Cedrés, a former Newell’s player and one of the main targets of Rosario’s anger.

The Canalla could have left the Libertadores de América satisfied despite losing their unbeaten record, because they already had a spot in the Libertadores and a place in the round of 16 of the Clausura Tournament secured, with home matches all the way to the final at a neutral venue as the top team in Group B. Nevertheless, the sparks that flew after the final whistle of an otherwise uneventful match tempted their players into a mess whose climax—the confrontation between Fernández Cedrés and Malcorra—was not initially caught on TV. The referee, however, didn’t miss it and didn’t hesitate to brandish the red card for both players.

The midfielder from the Rosario side couldn’t believe it and grew tired of begging for mercy and lamenting the accomplished fact. He left upset, aware of his unexpected almost amateur mistake that will deprive the team of a key player in the first knockout round of the tournament against an opponent that is still unknown: it will be the eighth-placed team in Group A, a spot currently held by Estudiantes but still subject to several results that could change it.

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