The Lanus of Argentina added an important point this Wednesday after drawing 1-1 against Barcelonafrom Ecuador, which allowed him to maintain the leadership of Group A and stay one step away from accessing the round of 16 of the South American Cup.
Barcelona went ahead with a goal against Argentine attacker José Sand, in the 41st minute, and it was Sand himself who corrected his mistake by scoring the Argentine club’s goal in the 53rd minute.
Lanús resorted to a strong defensive approach, which he clung to for much of the match, which ended up giving him a valuable result. He pressed from the start and was close to getting ahead of the minute of play.
Barcelona reacted, left the visiting domain and began to generate dangerous actions on Fernando Monetti’s goal. Although the control of the ball passed to the power of Barcelona, they did not manage to deepen the game until the goal of the visiting team.
Lanús increasingly strengthened his defensive system and rarely approached the Barcelona area. About half an hour into the game, the Argentine side came out of their zone, tried to develop their game in the middle of the field and shortened the contact between the lines, not only to defend themselves, but also to be on the lookout for some defensive error from the rival.
The insistence of Barcelona gave him results. After a foul by Tomás Belmonte, Pedro Velasco took a free kick, Uruguayan defender Carlos Rodríguez was unable to finish off with a header, but José Sand did end up grazing the ball to convert an own goal.
Sand went from villain to hero, taking advantage of a cross and a local defensive oversight, and from close range he converted the tying goal early in the second half. After the goal, the veteran Argentine striker couldn’t take it anymore and was replaced by David González.
The Argentine team tried to quell the momentum of the local, and every time the ball came into the possession of goalkeeper Monetti, he exaggerated in the retention of the ball. That led the Chilean referee Piero Maza to punish the Lanús goalkeeper with a yellow card, but the goalkeeper continued to lose time.
On the fifth day of Group A of the South American League, Metropolitanos, from Venezuela, will face Barcelona and Lanús will host Wanderers, from Uruguay.
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