The Academy Crushed Huachipato in Avellaneda

With a crushing 8-1 aggregate victory , Racing got rid of Huachipato and is now in the quarterfinals of the Copa Sudamericana , the international boundary that it has not managed to break since 1997, when it reached the semifinals of the Libertadores. The Academy went into halftime with a 4-0 lead, a result that allowed it to take care of its legs and start experiencing next Sunday’s match against Independiente.

With just 25 minutes gone, the second leg of the round of 16 of the Sudamericana became a sort of rallying cry in the build-up to the Avellaneda derby. “On Sunday, whatever it takes, we have to win,” was heard at the Cilindro, even though it was Tuesday and with two thirds of the game left. The second academic goal, that half-turn by Maravilla Martínez, the top scorer of the Sudamericana with eight goals, transformed what was left into a formality to be fulfilled. From then on, the chants of the fans began to anticipate what the match against the Rojo will be like on Sunday. Also the head of Costas, who at half-time sent the substitutes to warm up. But not for the players.

When Racing is in the lead, it seems to become a voracious team. There have been 22 goals in eight games in this international tournament. The one that opened the game was a great goal. From a six-yard box to a six-yard box. It started with a goal kick by Gabriel Arias and ended with Baltasar Rodríguez defining on the other side of the field. These are the variations that this team has, which with confidence and the result in its favor exposes its high-ranking squad.

The Academy Crushed Huachipato in Avellaneda.

In the eighth match of this Sudamericana, Juan Fernando Quintero had his first time as a starter . Up to this point he had only played 58 minutes, with four substitutions in the second half in a match that already seemed settled. The Colombian wasted a penalty, but provided two assists with his seal for the rout. And he raised applause among the fans when he approached to take the corner kicks. The other outstanding name of a great night was Juan Ignacio Nardoni , who returned to add minutes after missing three matches due to a sprained ankle.

The celebration was also full of emotion. Just an hour before the team took to the field, the news of the death of Humberto “Bocha” Maschio was announced . He was one of the greatest idols in the history of the club, the brains behind José’s team. A regular presence at the Cilindro until a few months ago, Maschio was the protagonist in two of the three international titles (Libertadores and Intercontinental 1967) that the Academy has in those showcases that it seeks to enlarge with this Sudamericana. In addition, Costas’ first experience as a coach, in 1999, with a bankrupt club, was in a duo with Bocha.

The Goal Advantage.

The four-goal advantage at the end of the first half suggested a game with 45 minutes to spare. A wrong assumption. Perhaps it is because this team does not know how to play in any other way than at the pace of its forwards. In any case, when the clock had barely marked 55 minutes, seven goals had already been scored. A crazy game. And a result to be desired by Racing, who saved their nerves and legs for the classic against the Rojo. The 6-1 could even have been more lopsided. The Academy had not scored half a dozen goals since December 27, 2020, with a 6-1 against Godoy Cruz at home, for the Diego Maradona Cup, in the middle of the pandemic.

After being the best team in the group stage, Costas’ team comfortably advanced to the quarter-finals after this thrashing of Huachipato, who are at the bottom of the Chilean league table (13th out of 16 teams). Without even trying, the Academy has already reached the shores of its own Rubicon in the cup competitions. It has not managed to reach the semi-finals of an international tournament since 1997. The last time it was crowned champion outside Argentina was in 1988, in the Super Cup. Gustavo Costas was the defender of Alfio Basile’s team. Now, from the bench, he wants to pay off that international debt.