The Academy arrived in Vicente López with a spark that hadn’t fully lit, and their defeat was decisive, yet Gago insisted that the squad still retains enough strength to push forward.
If there are so-called technical losses in football, Racing in Vicente López offered one of the clearest examples. A team that had dropped three league matches in a row and needed a morale boost from five of the last six fixtures failed to rise to the occasion against Platense, who claimed a 3-0 victory after being sharper in the final third. Their goal in the second half stood as proof the visitors lacked the required intensity.
It wasn’t just a heavy loss against a club already flirting with relegation danger, with Martín Palermo under pressure on the bench. The most worrying aspect for Fernando Gago’s squad was that after Valdivia struck in the fifth minute, there was little energy to compete, and Ramiro Macagno, the Calamar keeper, barely touched the ball in the first half.
The second goal by Ronaldo Martínez exposed vulnerabilities in a team that built its attack from a set piece and converted it with just four touches. In the second half, Platense deserved more, yet a stoppage-time penalty from Cardona against Schor sealed the 3-0 result after the recovery phase.
There are no excuses for injuries, absences, or other setbacks. Gago appears to have lost the momentum of a squad that started the year as a title contender and is currently fighting to stay in a Libertadores spot, where it leads its group, but without a visible turnaround, the situation could deteriorate.
UPDATE: In the following press conference, the coach admitted the moment is very difficult, but he stated that he has no intention of quitting and emphasized that the team won a title five months ago and added two trophies in the previous two months. He insisted that the club began well, has endured a run of bad results, and that both he and the players are taking charge. The message was clear: there is a context that calls for improvements.
The Binance Professional League Tournament 2023 program includes fixtures, dates, and results, with updates on what happens next for each club.
next in GOAL to follow the tournament’s action.
PLATENSE – RACING MINUTE BY MINUTE
- The minute-by-minute narrative of the clash between the Squid and the Academy unfolds here.
- PLATENSE TARGET! Ronaldo Martínez finishes in four touches as Racing’s defense stays static, making it 2-0
- PLATENSE TARGET! Valdivia reaches the far post to head the opening goal as the game starts
- Good afternoon and welcome to another GOAL broadcast. Platense meets Racing on date 16 of the Binance 2023 tournament at the Ciudad de Vicente López stadium.
THE DIAGRAM
HOW TO WATCH LIVE ON TV AND STREAMING
The match between the Squid and the Academy is shown in Argentina on ESPN Premium, a package available to subscribers through cable providers.
ESPN Premium
FORMATIONS
PLACES
Ramiro Macagno; Nicolás Morgantini, Marco Pellegrino, Gonzalo Valdivia, Miguel Jacquet, Sasha Marcich; Franco Diaz, Ivan Rossi, Nicolas Castro; Ronaldo Martinez, Mauro Quiroga. DT: Martin Palermo
TO RACE
Gabriel Arias; Facundo Mura, Leonardo Sigali, Jonatan Galvan, Gabriel Rojas; Juan Nardoni, Anibal Moreno, Baltazar Rodríguez; Hector Fertoli, Nicolas Reniero, Nicolas Saliadarre. DT: Fernando Gago
Source: Goal