Scandalous, biased Darío Herrera handed Central a 2-1 win over Racing | OneFootball

At the start of extra time came the first controversy. Alejo Véliz flicked it with his heel and wheeled away celebrating Central’s equalizer. However, the assistant referee ruled it out for offside. It was so close that VAR reviewed it for about five minutes until, finally, the officiating team decided to uphold the original call. Rosario Central are in the Torneo Apertura semifinals. After a tense extra-time battle, marked by several controversies, Canalla defeated Racing 2-1 at the Gigante de Arroyito in the quarterfinals. Zaracho opened the scoring for the visitors, but Gastón Ávila equalized and sent the match to extra time. Maravilla Martínez and Di Cesare were both sent off for the Avellaneda side, and they could not hold on with two men down. Enzo Copetti turned it around in extra time.

The first half was far too stop-start, more fought than played, more argued than emotional. In the first half hour there were 11 fouls, an average of one every three minutes: if you add the time players spent on the ground and all the complaints, there was barely any football played.

Even so, Central had the first clear chance with a move finished by Sandez, whose shot went over Cambeses’s goal. It started with a through ball from Pizarro that found Copetti all alone. But his poor first touch cost him time and, ultimately, a clear scoring chance.

But Racing began to take control of the game and, before the end of the first half, they opened the scoring with a surprise run from Matías Saracho. Maravilla Martínez brought it down for him in the box, and the full-back wheeled away celebrating after smashing it into the back of Central’s net.

Both sides had one chance, but the Avellaneda academy side landed the stronger blow and the Rosario team did not.

At the start of the second half came the first controversy. Alejo Véliz flicked it with his heel and wheeled away celebrating Central’s equalizer. However, the assistant referee ruled it out for offside. It was so close that VAR reviewed it for about five minutes until, finally, the officiating team decided to uphold the original call.

Canalla then produced the best spell of their match. Cambeses kept out a brilliant cross from Di María that could have brought the equalizer. In any case, it would not take long to arrive. Once again Fideo whipped a rocket into the box and Gato Ávila leveled the match.

Immediately afterward came another controversy. Maravilla Martínez struck Coronel with his hand and the referee booked him. But it did not end there, because VAR called Darío Herrera over to review the play and the referee decided to send him off. Racing were furious, believing it was an excessive punishment.

Central kept pushing. Their most dangerous weapon was Di María’s delivery, and Cambeses made a huge save from Ovando, whose header then struck the post. It could have been the second.

Extra time in Arroyito

The match remained open and went to extra time with the score unchanged. The first 15 minutes were tense and short on chances. However, the first half of extra time brought yet another controversy: Di Cesare’s red card, which left Racing with a mountain to climb and simply trying to hang on.

In the second period of extra time, one moment will live long in the memory of Canalla fans: Marco Ruben, the club’s all-time top scorer, returned to the pitch. Di María handed him the captain’s armband and left the field. Quintana also came on to play as a “9.”

In any case, neither of them was needed to win it. Before either had even touched the ball, Enzo Copetti scored the second and unleashed joy at the Gigante de Arroyito.

He did not want to celebrate it too much because of his past with Racing, but the whole stadium celebrated on his behalf. The match slowly faded out. With space to attack, Canalla could have scored a third, but they missed. Marco Ruben nearly had it there. It is all part of a memory now. Central are in the semifinals, and that is all the fans care about.

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