Last season they were playing in the Torneo Argentino A, the third division section for clubs not affiliated to the AFA, but on Sunday Atlético Tucumán ensured their city will continue to have Primera División representation next season by thrashing relegation-threatened Talleres de Córdoba 4-1 to confirm the B Nacional title. Atlético’s last appearance in the top flight was in 1984, the year I was born. Welcome back gents.
Since the Torneos Argentinos were first set up in 1995 to allow a place in the national league for sides not located in Gran Buenos Aires, Rosario or Santa Fe (plus a few sides who were invited into the Torneos Metropolitanos back in the ’80s), no team has managed to win promotion from Argentino A and go straight up from B Nacional to Primera División in the same season. Atlético have managed it thanks to a great campaign that’s seen them clinch promotion with two matches remaining.
Emanuel Fernández Francou put Talleres into the lead in the fifth minute, but that was all the joy the hosts were to get from the game. Luis Rodríguez equalised just after the half hour mark, and in the second half the visitors ran riot. Juan Pablo Pereyra put Atlético into the lead two minutes after the restart, Juan Manuel Azconzábal made it 3-1 in the 72nd, and just three minutes later César Montiglio made it 4-1. Immediately after that goal, a riot in the stands brought the game to and end.
Talleres’ punishment will be decided later but for now it’s bad enough for them that the result will stand. It leaves them bottom of the relegation Promedio way off the pace. Earlier this decade, they were coming close to claiming a surprise title win, but next season they’ll be in the third division.
Elsewhere in the division, third-placed Belgrano de Córdoba drew 0-0 with Tiro Federal of Rosario, a result which benefits second-placed Chacarita Juniors hugely. If they beat Platense (bottom of the season-long table, though clear of the relegation positions in the promedio) tomorrow in an ‘away’ match behind closed doors in La Plata, they’ll go up automatically.
A division below, meanwhile, we had the Clásico del Oeste going on in the semi-finals of the Primera B (not B Nacional) playoffs, the winners of which will play off against a side from B Nacional for a place in next season’s second division. Merlo took on Morón in the home ground of El Porvenir, and drew 0-0. The second leg is on Thursday and if the aggregate scores are level Morón, who finished above their local rivals in the regular season, will go through.
Hasta El Gol Siempre 
Just going back to Talleres, sad for them to be relegated to the third, I saw a player I’d seen before, Buffarini. I don’t know how old he is, but he doesn’t look old, he’s a kind of unpredictable winger who probably doesn’t know himself what he’s gonna do next, so I’m not sure if he has potential to progress much further. But his good attitude when he came on as sub was typical of many Argentine players I see – even though his team were losing, he was running back to help out in defence, he was desperate to help, and at the end he looked genuinely crushed that his side are probably going down.
Maybe he’s a fan of the club, but anyway, I don’t see that many players in the English leagues show that much dedication to their sides, they always seem to be looking for the next move.
At a higher level, Tevez is always one of the hardest working players at Man U, even though he knows he isn’t wanted by the manager. People don’t seem to associate Argentine players with team spirit and dedication, but I see a lot of it from them, most notably in Zuculini’s wonderful announcement this week. :-)
BTW, you’re making me feel old being born in 1984, I was busy listening to Duran Duran and Echo and the Bunnymen on my Walkman!
:-)
I dare say Atlético Tucumán’s results were being printed in the ‘World of Soccer’ section in the back of ‘Match’ magazine, but I can’t recall noticing them.
One thing I do know is that Racing, Rosario Central, Lanús and GELP were *all* in the second division at this time, surely this must have been the strongest second division ever with the biggest crowds? (Though I realise Lanús don’t have much history before Russo and Cúper).
I know I’ve asked this question before, but no-one picked up on it, if one of the big clubs goes down this season (Central, GELP or heaven forbid Racing), will there be more pressure to lift the away fan ban in B, or will it be more likely to stay?