El Lagunero and El Tiburón reach Copa Santa Fe via Copa Federación | OneFootball

Ciclón Racing and Náutico El Quillá sealed their qualification for the Quarterfinals in thrilling penalty shootouts. Sportivo Guadalupe, on the other hand, was eliminated despite fighting until the very last minute. The Santafesina League still has two representatives in the running for the Copa Federación.

Sunday afternoon had all the ingredients that explain why the Copa Federación of the province of Santa Fe is lived with such intensity in every corner of the football map.

Dramatic, unpredictable, filled with nerves and emotions. That’s how the day went for the representatives of the Liga Santafesina de Fútbol, who played the second legs of the Round of 16 with mixed fortunes: two celebrated from the penalty spot and one had to say goodbye with dignity.

At the 8 de Enero Sports Ground, Ciclón Racing wrote a page of character. The team led by Carlos García had lost 1-3 in the first leg against Juventud Unida de Humboldt and was forced into a tough comeback.

There was no room for speculation. And the Lagunero responded with determination.

With two goals from Lautaro Obregón, the Santa Fe side won 2-0 in the ninety minutes and leveled the aggregate at 3-3. It was a hard-fought match, with tension in every 50-50 ball and the home team taking the initiative from the start.

The reward came through persistence and conviction. The series, then, went to a penalty shootout.

That’s where composure emerged. Ciclón Racing was more effective and won 3-1 in the shootout, sparking celebrations among their fans and securing their ticket to the Quarterfinals of the tournament organized by the Federación Santafesina.

A qualification built on character, overcoming an adverse series and showing personality at the decisive moment.

The Shark resisted and celebrated

Almost simultaneously, at the Independiente de Santo Tomé stadium, Náutico El Quillá also had to endure the winding road of suffering.

Martín Mazzoni’s team lost 2-1 to Central San Javier, in an intense match with changing fortunes.

Bautista Croci scored for the Shark, while Renzo Grenat and Nazareno Zimmermann scored for the visitors. The result was identical to the first leg, but reversed, and the aggregate was tied. Once again, the outcome was decided from the penalty spot.

In the shootout, Náutico showed coolness and efficiency: a 5-4 win in the series and qualification secured. It was a game of details, where every mistake could have been decisive.

The Shark managed to hold on during the moments of greatest pressure and responded with surgical precision in the decisive kicks. Thus, they sealed their place in the next round and confirmed the impressive tournament they have been building.

Guadalupe fought but it wasn’t enough

It was a different story for Sportivo Guadalupe, who traveled to Arroyo Seco needing to overturn the 0-1 loss from the first match.

The team led by Adalberto Tobaldo drew 1-1 with Unión de Arroyo Seco, but the result wasn’t enough to level the aggregate and they had to bid farewell to the competition.

Mauricio Kinkela scored for the team in the crossed band, while Román De Souza scored for the home side. Guadalupe tried, pushed, and kept their hopes alive until the end, but couldn’t break through the rival defense.

The elimination, however, does not overshadow the effort made throughout the campaign.

The balance for the Santafesina League is positive. Two teams remain in the race, having shown character in tough scenarios.

Both El Quillá and Ciclón Racing have played outstanding matches in each of their appearances, maintaining the competitiveness and spirit that characterize the region’s football.

The Copa Federación continues its course and the Quarterfinals are already on the horizon.

There will be the Lagunero and the Shark, ready to challenge logic once again, to keep the dream alive, and to continue writing their story in a tournament that offers no respite and is often decided on the thin line that separates anguish from glory.

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