Twenty-five days after it was suspended following an explosive going off in the stands, the final of the Primera B Metropolitana championship playoff between Almirante Brown and Estudiantes de Buenos Aires was finished tonight in Junín, behind closed doors. The last 77 minutes of the match were completed, the original, in Racing’s stadium, having been called off after the award of a penalty to Brown lead to that trouble in the stands.
Today’s match, then, began with the taking of said penalty – which Carlos Zavaleta missed. They do say that if you spend too much time thinking about where to put it, you’re putting more pressure on yourself. A 25 day run-up can’t be great for that, and he smashed it against the post.
Still, Brown did end up scoring the only goal of the game all the same. They rode their luck as Estudiantes, taking encouragement from their good fortune with the penalty, hit the woodwork themselves twice in quick succession, but in the second half Penco (if anyone knows his first name, please get in touch or leave a comment) rose above two markers to push a header towards goal which the ‘keeper couldn’t tip round the post. It was a little-deserved win, but it’s enough to send them to Nacional B.
When they get there, they’ll have to start the season with a mammoth 18 point deduction thanks to the incidents which got the initial date for the game called off. Tonight’s defeated opponents Estudiantes, meanwhile, will get another chance in the B Metro Reducido, which can now take place. They’ll face All Boys, and the winners of that tie will play either Deportivo Morón or Sarmiento for the right to face B Nacional side Ferro for their place in next season’s B Nacional.
Soccer Blogs
The Football Directory
