Another controversial arbitration in promotion: the dubious penalty awarded to Sarmiento de La Banda against Boca Unidos

The very long path that the Torneo Federale A, in its 2024 edition, offers its 38 participating clubs to access the Primera Nacional began on Friday with three matches and with a controversial refereeing decision which was central to the resolution of the meeting that Sarmiento de La Banda beats Boca Unidos de Corrientes 1-0.

The Ciudad de La Banda stadium was festively decorated for the home club’s debut in Federal A, promoted for the first time in its history just 41 days ago. Until the Cradle of poets and singers The cast of Corrientes has arrivedactive in this competition since 2018, when he lost his place in the Primera B Nacional after nine seasons.

The duel, corresponding to zone 4 of the competition, was not a source of aesthetic joy for the Bandeño public. The local team was in control of the initiative for 90 minutes, but was unable to break through their opponents’ strong defence. team led by Raúl Estévezformer striker of San Lorenzo, Boca and Racing, among others.

Zero seemed the inevitable fate of the match until the 43rd minute of the second half, after a shot from his own field by Julio Luques, Striker Santiago Bernal went looking for the ball in the Corrientes area and fell when he was reached by Santiago Chamorro in a maneuver in which the contact seemed insufficient to bring down the burly attacker. However, referee Fernando Reckers penalized.

The Cordoba judge’s decision sparked joy among the local public, but angered the visiting players and technical staff. The discussions lasted five minutes. and as a result, Aurirrojo’s captain, Antonio Medina del Chaco, a former player of Rosario Central, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and Aldosivi, was sent off.

Once things had calmed down, at least partially, Guillermo Guzmán scored the winning goal For The teacher with a high shot against the left post of the goal defended by Lucas De León and behind which the stage was still set up which would have been used in February for the XXXII edition of the National Festival of La Salamanca, suspended for economic reasons, crisis which is going through Village.

In this way, and beyond the irritation of the Corrientes team, The team led by Pablo Martel celebrated its historic first victory in the third division of Argentine football. Sarmiento had achieved one of the five promotions granted by the Regional Amateur Federal Tournament on February 11, when it beat Altos Hornos Zapla de Palpalá (Jujuy) 3-0 at the Bicentenario Ciudad de Catamarca Stadium. The match referee that day was also Reckers, whose performance was not questioned by the losers.

Next weekend, the Bandeño team will make their debut as guests in the competition: they will face Unión de Sunchales. For its part, Boca Unidos will try to remove the bad taste in the mouth that this setback has left when they receive Central Norte de Salta.

In the other two matches of the first Federal A match played on Friday, Kimberley del Mar del Plata, another of the newly promoted teamsbeat Cipolletti 2-0 at home in zone 1 and Juventud Antoniana de Salta drew 0-0 with Crucero del Norte de Misiones in zone 4.