2024-03-03 03:27:35
Facing Quilmes was always a headache for San Martín. A statement that is verified through numbers: of 27 games played, he was only able to beat him on three occasions, accumulating 10 losses and 14 draws; statistics that overwhelm and much more in a context in which returning to victory becomes a true necessity. Even the “brewer” was one of the few rivals who was able to gain strength in La Ciudadela, achieving four victories compared to only one for the “saint”.
To top off the adverse context, San Martín’s last victory was in 2019 (when they beat them 4-1 as a visitor). From there, they suffered two defeats (one was elimination from the 2022 Argentine Cup) and two draws.
Despite starting with three points less (the result of the sanction to the club for the match against Gimnasia de Mendoza in which they attacked Brian Olivera with a firework), those led by Dario Franco They started at a steady pace in the championship. They have not yet known defeat and have accumulated seven points, placing them in third place in the table in zone “A”. However, like most teams, they are still in the process of consolidating the idea of the game.
The 4-2-3-1 is the coach’s favorite tactical formation. Thus, he tries to squeeze the maximum punch out of his midfielders with quick and direct attacks that at times make the formation change to a 4-3-3. Thus, unlike what was proposed by San Miguel and Ferro, San Martín will face a rival that is not used to retreating defensively and will seek to be the protagonist in La Ciudadela.
Due to the vertical game idea, Tomás González It becomes an unavoidable reference point for the offensive. Moveable and intractable, the winger positioned himself on the left wing in the duel with Chacarita, generating great connections with the side. Leandro Allende, this sector being the most used for “brewer” opportunities; although, at the coach’s request, he can change his side on the field and appear lying on the right wing. In addition to his speed and great dribble, the former Nueva Chicago has a great punch; resource that was fundamental to score the goal against the “funebrero” that meant the 1-0 victory.
Another of the resources used is mid-distance: two of the five goals he scored in the entire championship came from this route. “He is a high-level rival who has not changed the way he plays much. He has a coach who likes to attack, go forward and who showed himself to be flexible. The game that came with Almirante Brown used an antagonistic scheme,” Flores described in Thursday’s post-training press conference.
Another point to highlight is the solvency under the three suits of Ezequiel Glellel. The goalkeeper has three clean sheets in four games, having conceded only one goal in the entire championship. Likewise, he presents himself as a fixture in the goal, completely winning the fight against Maximiliano Gagliardowho was the starting goalkeeper in the promotion of Independiente Rivadavia that was promoted to the Professional League.
But, not all of it is great news for the “brewer.” The expulsion of Axel Batista It represents a challenge to overcome for Franco, who must immediately look for a replacement for the right winger. In addition to his vision of the game and creativity, the coach lost one of the key pieces of his scheme (he started all four games that were played).
It is worth mentioning that in the first game, the one who replaced him in the second half was González, although now I could bet on Lucas Abascia on the left wing.
Due to direct play, the midfield remains a weak point. Neither Marcos Enrique (who left due to injury), nor Juan Postigo They are still uncomfortable when it comes to containment, which is why they have not yet been able to become the axes of the team. Thus, all the rivals tried to centralize the game to hurt the central defense made up of Matías Ferreira y Federico Tevez. In this sense, it should be mentioned that Quilmes is a rival that gave all rivals clear opportunities, which could have opened the scoring. However, Glellel ended up being decisive in preventing the rival’s chances.
Nor can one ignore the few interventions of Fabián Bordagaray. Although he scored a goal (it was a penalty against Temperley on the first matchday), the truth is that the forward does not have many chances against the rival goal. Even when it comes to pressing, it is seen that the team still does not have enough experience in this aspect of the game because the “9” often ends up doing this task individually.
Yes ok Damián Adin and Allende give their share of effort on the offensive, they still continue to owe their debt when it comes to setbacks. This aspect must be taken into account by Flores to try to make the difference
Faced with this panorama, several doubts persist: Will Franco bet on high blood pressure like the latest rivals of the “saint”? Will Flores propose a new scheme to improve game generation and counteract Quilmes’ verticalism? Will there be a new surprise in this call? With all this, the “saint” is forced to twist history at home and look for a victory that will comfort the spirit of a team that has already suffered two blows.