Peñarol was defeated by Boston River at the Campeones Olímpicos stadium in Florida in a match corresponding to the third round of the Clausura Tournament. The final score was 2-1 in favor of the red-and-green team, which achieved its second victory in the tournament and reached seven points. Meanwhile, the team coached by Diego Aguirre missed the opportunity to equal Nacional's lead in the annual standings.
The match started evenly, with few clear chances. The visitors' first chance came in the sixth minute. Matías Arezo controlled a long pass from Lucas Hernández and shot with his left foot, but the shot went wide. That move marked the only threatening opportunity in the early stages of the game.
The pace was slow for much of the first half. Both teams tried to advance down the flanks, but were unsuccessful in the closing stages. In the 20th minute, Mauricio Vera tried a shot from mid-range for Boston River, but goalkeeper Brayan Cortés easily controlled the ball. The game continued to be choppy, with neither team clearly taking the lead.
The highlights of the first half came just after the half-hour mark. Agustín Amado came close to opening the scoring for the home team, but his shot was blocked. In the aftermath, Arezo had a clear chance, but goalkeeper Bruno Antúnez responded with a superb save.
The 1-0 scoreline came in the 41st minute. A corner from the left was flicked on by Felipe Avenatti, and Guillermo López appeared free at the far post to tap the ball into the back of the net. With that goal, Sastre took the lead into the break.
At the start of the second half, Peñarol pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but this created space in their defense. In the 48th minute, a pass from Avenatti left Agustín Albarracín one-on-one with Cortés. The forward finished with precision to make it 2-0 for the home side.
After that second goal, Aguirre decided to make changes to the bench. Ignacio Sosa, Maximiliano Silvera, and Stiven Muhlethaler came on, while Leandro Umpiérrez, David Terans, and Héctor Villalba came off. Later, youngsters Lorenzo Couture and Brandon Álvarez made their debuts. The changes revitalized the offense, but weren't enough to reverse the result.
Just minutes from time, Arezo scored a goal that gave Peñarol hope. The forward plucked a loose ball inside the box and finished past the goalkeeper. However, the black and gold team failed to equalize in the remaining minutes.
With this defeat, Peñarol dropped to 49 points in the annual standings, two behind Nacional, which plays tomorrow. If the Tricolor team wins its match, it will take a six-point lead in the standings and move within three of Carbonero in the Clausura.
Boston River, meanwhile, reached seven points in the short tournament and continues to demonstrate solidity at home. Jadson Viera's team was effective in both areas and capitalized on their opportunities to secure an important victory.
The result leaves Peñarol with a bitter feeling, as it had the chance to secure a joint lead in the Annual Championship. It also lost ground in the Clausura standings, where it could have taken a nine-point lead over Nacional. Now it must await the result of its arch-rival and prepare for the next round with the pressure of not losing any more points.
The Carbonero coaching staff will have to review what happened, especially regarding defensive solidity. The spaces the team left in the retreat were exploited by the opponent, who effectively capitalized on their opportunities.
Meanwhile, the Boston River coaching staff praised the team's attitude and effectiveness in key moments. Felipe Avenatti, who participated in both goals, was one of the keys to the victory.
The next match will pit both teams against new challenges. Peñarol will need to score points to stay in the fight for the Clausura and the Annual, while Boston River will try to continue scoring points and maintain its strong football momentum.
The championship remains open, and every point begins to count in the tournament's final decision.
