In a night filled with drama and controversy, Racing Club defeated Belgrano de Córdoba 1-0 at the Estadio Único La Pedrera in Villa Mercedes, San Luis province, in the Round of 16 of the Copa Argentina 2026. The only goal of the match came from Tomás Conechny just 4 minutes into the first half, capitalizing on a cross from Adrián 'Maravilla' Martínez, who returned to the starting lineup after serving a three-match suspension.
A Blistering Start and a Woodwork Save for the Pirate
Racing showed no signs of caution, attacking from the very first whistle. At 12 minutes, Ulises Ortegoza unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box that crashed against the left post of Thiago Cardozo, denying the Academy a second goal. Belgrano, far from intimidated, responded with danger of their own: Facundo Cambeses delivered a series of crucial saves to keep a clean sheet, first denying a rebound that nearly fell to Passerini and then blocking a shot from Rigoni.
In the closing stages of the first half, the Academy thought they had doubled their lead with a goal from Maravilla Martínez, but it was disallowed for offside after a VAR review. The teams went into halftime with the score at 1-0.
Second Half: Racing Suffers, Cardozo Shines, and VAR Takes Center Stage
Belgrano came out with renewed intensity in the second half, pushing forward in search of an equalizer. Ricardo Zielinski brought on Lucas Zelarayán, and the Córdoba side piled on the pressure, but they were met by an inspired Cambeses, who made a spectacular one-on-one save against Nicolás 'Uvita' Fernández at 35 minutes.
As the match was winding down, at 48 minutes into stoppage time, the night's biggest controversy unfolded: Belgrano found the back of the net through a team move finished by 'Uvita' Fernández from a Hernandes cross, but the assistant referee raised his flag, and the VAR confirmed a millimeter offside, disallowing the goal. The decision sparked outrage on the Belgrano bench, and goalkeeper Thiago Cardozo was sent off for protesting after the final whistle, as referee Sebastián Zunino was being summoned by the VAR while Belgrano had a corner kick.
'The team, given the moment we were going through, showed that composure to say 'I'm going to try to play the way we did against Banfield'. I liked that. Also the moments when you have to suffer, the moments when you have to defend,' said Juan Pablo Vojvoda, Racing's head coach, in an interview with TyC Sports.
The Analysis: Belgrano Deserved More, But Lacked a Cutting Edge
Córdoba-based newspaper La Voz del Interior conducted an in-depth analysis of the match, concluding that Belgrano did not deserve to lose but lacked decisiveness in key moments. The sky-blue team created danger in the first half, putting Racing under pressure on several occasions, but struggled in the second half and, despite a late push, could not find the equalizer. However, this elimination should not overshadow a historic campaign: Zielinski's side had just won the Torneo Apertura 2026 and had an impressive Copa Argentina run, eliminating Talleres, Unión, Argentinos Juniors, and River Plate (with the famous 3-2 victory on May 24).
Juan Pablo Vojvoda himself acknowledged the need for a squad rebuild at Racing: 'We work with everyone; I spoke last week about being in a transition process. I know I'm at a big club, but I'm also a realist: every team after successful cycles, like Racing has had, or being consistently at the top, needs that squad restructuring. Some say they want to continue their careers abroad, others are saturated, and young players are coming in. The new guys coming in with hopes need to find a squad that wants them and helps them.'
What's Next for Both Teams?
| Team | Next Match | Date and Time | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Racing Club | vs Boca Juniors | Sunday, August 23, 9:30 PM (local time) | Torneo Clausura (at El Cilindro) |
| Belgrano | vs Defensa y Justicia | Sunday, August 23, 5:00 PM (local time) | Torneo Clausura (in Córdoba) |
With this victory, Racing ended a three-match losing streak and advanced to the Copa Argentina quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the tie between Boca Juniors and Vélez Sarsfield, scheduled for September 2. The Academy's next challenge is the classic clash against Boca on Sunday in the Torneo Clausura, a match that promises to be electrifying.