San Lorenzo start with a defeat, questions remain | OneFootball

San Lorenzo had control, created the clearest chances, but once again faced an old problem: the lack of goals. In their first friendly match of 2026, Damián Ayude's team fell 1-0 to Cúcuta from Colombia at the Luis Franzini Stadium in Montevideo, as part of the Río de la Plata Series.

The Cyclone was superior for much of the first half. With Alexis Cuello active and good ball control in the opponent's field, they had several chances to open the scoring but failed in the finishing. Reali, Hernández, and Cuello himself had clear opportunities that they could not capitalize on, leaving alive an opponent that resisted without trouble.

In the second half, after a series of changes, San Lorenzo lost fluidity and solidity. Cúcuta took advantage of that moment and, at the 27th minute, Luifer Hernández found the space to score the only goal of the match, punishing the blue and red's lack of effectiveness.

It was a first test with mixed signals: good intentions and prominence, but without decisiveness. The result is not definitive, but San Lorenzo needs to turn control into goals if they want the start of the year not to become an uphill battle.

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