The meaningful bits of the clásico rosarino on Sunday had all taken place before the match was even half an hour old, but whilst it lasted it was an absolute cracker. Two goals in one minute put Central ahead against the hosts in El Coloso Del Parque after just twelve minutes, but Newell’s, fighting for the title and determined not to let their rivals of all people hand them a knockout blow, were level within quarter of an hour. The second half, for all the lack of goals, was scarcely less full of intent. Read about it, and watch the goals, right here.
Central opened the scoring after the first coherent bit of a teamwork of the afternoon. Jesús Méndez picked up a half-cleared ball about ten yards outside the box and played it into Jonatan Gómez’s path on the right wing. Gómez hit it first time, sending in a cross that was perfect for Gervasio Núñez to rise and head his side into the lead. A minute later, Diego Chitzoff raced onto a bouncing ball which he hit with fury from the right-hand corner of the penalty box. The shot took a deflection and bounced wickedly past Sebatián Peratta to double the Canalla‘s lead.
The shock clearly woke Newell’s up, and three minutes after Chitzoff’s goal the hosts had pulled one back. Jorge Achucarro won a loose ball on the edge of Central’s box and cut down the right channel to the byline, from where he pulled the ball back into a crowded penalty area. Joaquín Boghossian, the side’s leading scorer this season, was left with a relatively simple finish to make it 1-2.
In the 27th minute, Achucarro got one of his own, getting a glancing header on a left-wing free kick to make it 2-2. Thereafter, Newell’s poured forward, even moreso in the second half. They needed the win more than their visitors, if they wanted to keep up a realistic hope of a championship challenge, and it showed. No further goals were forthcoming, though. Both sides could take some plus points: Newell’s have ended a run of six straight wins, but are still nine matches unbeaten, whilst Central now haven’t lost in five games.
There was a glimpse of football’s darker side, though. At one point a knife was thrown onto the pitch – mercifully it didn’t hit anyone – and prior to the match Rosario’s police force made 32 arrests when trouble blew up after a group of Central fans tried to enter with false tickets. At least 15 were injured and three people were taken to the Clemente Alvarez Hospital, though they’re not in a serious condition. One club source told news agency Télam that, ‘some of them were trying to get in with tickets for [Guatemalan pop singer] Ricardo Arjona.’
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