 The match was played at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes. | |||||||
| Event | 2015–16 Copa Argentina | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Date | December 15, 2016 | ||||||
| Venue | Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes,Córdoba | ||||||
| Referee | Patricio Loustau[1] | ||||||
| Attendance | 55,000[2] | ||||||
←2015 2017 → | |||||||
The2016 Copa Argentina final was afootball match betweenRiver Plate andRosario Central on 15 December 2016 at theEstadio Mario Alberto Kempes inCórdoba, Argentina. It was the final match of the2015–16 Copa Argentina, the seventh edition of Argentine football's annual cup competition, organised by theArgentine Football Association (AFA). River Plate were appearing in their first final, while Rosario Central were making their third appearance, after consecutive defeats in the two prior editions of the tournament.
As both teams were in the highest tier of thefootball league system in Argentina, thePrimera División, they entered the competition in the final round. Matches up to the semi-final were contested on a one-off basis, with a penalty shoot-out taking place if any game ended tied after 90 minutes. River Plate's contests varied from close to comfortable victories, while the majority of Rosario Central's matches were close affairs.
Watched by a crowd of 55,000, River Plate took the lead in the first half whenLucas Alario scored through a penalty, awarded by refereePatricio Loustau. Rosario Central turned the game around courtesy of two goals fromDamián Musto andMarco Ruben, but Alario once again scored from the spot kick to make the score 2–2 at half-time. After the restart, Ruben unlevelled the match once more for his team, but two goals in the span of three minutes from Alario, who signed a hat-trick, andIván Alonso gave River Plate their first Copa Argentina win.
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| R64 | Sportivo Rivadavia (VT) | 3–0 |
| R32 | Estudiantes (SL) | 2–1 |
| R16 | Arsenal | 1–0 |
| QF | Unión | 3–0 |
| SF | Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | 2–0 |
As aPrimera División team, River Plate started their Copa Argentina campaign in the Round of 64, being drawn againstTorneo Federal B team Sportivo Rivadavia (VT). The match, played at the Estadio Antonio Romero, gave way to an early goal fromLucas Alario after a cross sent byAndrés D'Alessandro was intercepted by an opposing defender. The striker took advantage of the subsequent rebound to put his team ahead. Nearing the end of the first half,Ignacio Fernández extended their lead when he unleashed a shot from outside the 18-yard box. During the final minutes of the game,Gabriel Mercado, on his last match at River Plate, was given the chance to score from a spot kick. The right-back converted the penalty to seal the final scoreline of 3–0 and progress through.[3] Their Round of 32 match saw them facePrimera B Nacional squadEstudiantes (SL) at theEstadio Padre Ernesto Martearena.[4] Férnandez opened the scoring after another long-range shot that beat the goalkeeper in the 34th minute. However, their opposition managed a tie when Marcelo Mosset scored in the 88th minute. The match seemed to be heading for a penalty shoot-out, butGonzalo Martínez, from a free kick, unlevelled the score in favour of River Plate just seconds away from stoppage time.[5]
In the Round of 16, they were paired against fellow Primera División sideArsenal at theEstadio San Juan del Bicentenario. River Plate took the lead in the 53rd minute, as Alario placed a shot next to the left post following a cross from Fernández. They ultimately held this advantage to win the match 1–0.[6] Their opposition in the quarter-finals were another Primera División team inUnión. Five minutes into the game, held at theEstadio José Maria Minella, aSebastián Driussi header off a corner kick yielded River Plate the opening goal. Midway through the second half, Martínez sent another corner kick into the area, which was now connected byJoaquín Arzura to extend their lead. Alario would add one further during injury time, closing out the match with a 3–0 victory.[7] In the semi-finals, they playedGimnasia y Esgrima (LP). River Plate opened the scoring following a play by Martínez. The attacking midfielder would link up with D'Alessandro, who then found Fernández on the right side. The midfielder proceeded to cross for Driussi, who anticipated his markers to break the deadlock. They would add one more at the end of the first half, courtesy of an Alario header after a Martínez assist. No further goals were scored, thus sending River Plate into their first Copa Argentina final.[8]
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| R64 | Villa Mitre | 1–0 |
| R32 | Atlético de Rafaela | 2–2 (3–1p) |
| R16 | Deportivo Morón | 2–0 |
| QF | Boca Juniors | 2–1 |
| SF | Belgrano | 2–0 |
Rosario Central also started their campaign in the Round of 64, where they were drawn againstTorneo Federal A squadVilla Mitre at theEstadio Eva Perón. The scoreline went unchanged until the 75th minute, whenEsteban Burgos scored from a rebound after aGiovani Lo Celso free kick. The result would remain, sending them through.[9] In the Round of 32, they facedAtlético de Rafaela, a fellow Primera División team. At theEstadio 15 de Abril, forwardFabián Bordagaray opened the scoring in the second minute of play, after being assisted byGermán Herrera. Their opposition would turn the match around, however, courtesy of goals fromGabriel Gudiño andMathías Abero. Rosario Central'sEduardo Coudet subbedJosé Luis Fernández in during half-time, who seven minutes from the restart orchestrated a play that was finished by Herrera to tie the game. As neither team would manage to score any further goals, a penalty shoout-out took place to determine a winner. Rosario Central would come out on top, after goalkeeperSebastián Sosa stopped two penalties, sending his team through.[10]
Their opposition in the Round of 16 wereDeportivo Morón, from thePrimera B Metropolitana. The match played at the Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena saw Rosario Central open the scoring in the 53th minute, whenWalter Montoya unleashed a powerful strike from outside the 18-yard box that beat the goalkeeper. They extended their lead in stoppage time, afterTeófilo Gutiérrez led a counter-attack which gave way to a finish fromMarco Ruben.[11] Rosario Central were paired againstBoca Juniors in the quarter-finals, with theEstadio Mario Alberto Kempes to be the venue for the match. The game was to be a rematch of the2015 final, which was won by Boca Juniors. Rosario Central would take a two goal lead in the first half, following a shots from Fernández, through a volley, and Herrera. Their opposition found the net in injury time, but were unable to tie the game.[12] Thus, they advanced into the semi-finals, where they playedBelgrano, their third Primera División opponent. At the Estadio Antonio Romero, Rosario Central opened the scoring in the 71st minute, after Ruben headed a cross from Gutiérrez. Twenty minutes later, they extended their lead following a pass the Colombian striker laid for Montoya, who took a shot on an empty net to send his team into their third consecutive Copa Argentina final.[13]
The Copa Argentina was first established in 1969 to grant qualification toCONMEBOL'sCopa Ganadores de Copa, the South American equivalent of theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup. However, the governing body gave way in 1971 to thesecond edition of the Copa Ganadores de Copa while the1970 Copa Argentina was still in play, subsequently closing out the Argentine berth into the continental tournament. This prompted the second leg of that season's Copa Argentina final to be abandoned, and ultimately brought the competition to an end.[14] The tournament was eventually reinstated in 2011, after a 42-year hiatus.[15] It continued to be played without interruption until 2020, when theCOVID-19 pandemic in Argentina arose, and matches pertaining to the2019–20 Copa Argentina were consequently delayed. The tournament resumed on December 2020, and its final match was played a year later, meaning the 2021 edition of the competition was never carried out.[16] From there on out, the Copa Argentina has been held annually.[15]
The match was River Plate's first appearance in a Copa Argentina final. In turn, Rosario Central were appearing for the third consecutive time. They were looking to win their first title, after sustaining losses in the two prior editions of the competition. They had first lost the2014 Copa Argentina final againstHuracán. After a goalless game, the penalty shoot-out went in favour of their opposition 5–4. In the2014–15 edition of the tournament, they reached thefinal again, losing toBoca Juniors 2–0.[17]
It was the third time they were to face each other in the competition; both of the previous matches had gone in favour of Rosario Central. They first knocked River Plate out in the quarter-finals of the2013–14 Copa Argentina, when they won 5–4 on penalties after a scoreless draw.[18] In the following season, they beat them 2–0 in the Round of 32.[19]
Both teams played their last match before the final on 11 December. Rosario Central suffered a 2–1 defeat againstLanús at theEstadio Gigante de Arroyito. River Plate followed a similar suit, as they sustained a 4–2 loss to Boca Juniors at theEstadio Monumental.[20] The most recent meeting between the two sides was on 21 February, during the2016 Argentine Primera División, which ended 3–3.[21]
From the start of the match, both sides displayed an aggressive approach, causing the match to became a frantic affair.[22] Early on, River Plate'sLeonardo Ponzio brought down Colombian strikerTeófilo Gutiérrez after a struggle, but the action went unnoticed by refereePatricio Loustau.[23] In the eighth minute, he awarded a penalty on the other side of the field.Andrés D'Alessandro passed toLucas Alario who, following a header, leftIgnacio Fernández in front of the net. Before the midfielder could unveil a shot, however, he was tackled byDamián Musto. Alario stepped up and converted from the spot to put his team ahead. Around the 25-minute mark, aWalter Montoya corner kick was cleared away by Alario. The ball fell toVíctor Salazar, who sent a cross into the box that was challenged by Musto and goalkeeperAugusto Batalla;[22] the midfielder won the challenge, albeit controlling the ball with his elbow, and scored on an empty net for the equaliser.[24] Just four minutes later, Rosario Central took the lead after Montoya drove a counter-attack. The play was followed up by Gutiérrez, who received the ball and assisted Ruben in the scoring of their second goal, after the striker controlled the delivery and beat Batalla to turn the game around.[25] A follow up penalty was given to River Plate in the 37th minute, afterJorge Moreira passed over to Alario, who was tugged byDylan Gissi inside the area. The striker took the spot kick once again, sending goalkeeperSebastián Sosa the wrong way and tying the match.[22]
The closing half would also unfold intensely, as both teams had multiple opportunities to get ahead. The first clear chance occurred after midfielderGiovanni Lo Celso orchestrated a play from the left side. The play ultimately came to a finish whenJosé Luis Fernández crossed for Gutiérrez, who could only muster a weak shot on target.[26] Around midway of the second half, Lo Celso orchestrated another play, that time from the right. The ball eventually fell toJonás Aguirre, who unveiled a shot across goal. Although his strike was weak, Batalla was unable to get ahold of it and Ruben chimed in to tap the ball into the net, retaking the lead in the 63rd minute.[22] Five minutes later, they had a chance to extend their lead following a mistake by River Plate's Fernández. Lo Celso was given the opportunity to capitalize upon it, but the midfielder squandered it, as he unleashed a shot right into goalkeeper Batalla.[26] At the 71-minute mark, River Plate managerMarcelo Gallardo subbed in forwardsIván Alonso andRodrigo Mora for D'Alessandro andGonzalo Martínez.[27] The changes yielded them a difference when, just a minute later, Moreira crossed into the box from a throw-in, finding Alonso, who headed the ball over to Alario for the striker to tie the game. Three minutes later, Mora crossed for Alario, who assisted Alonso in the scoring of their fourth goal.[22] Ruben was later shown a red card after he attackedLucas Martínez Quarta.[23] In the 89-minute, Alario had a chance to extend their lead, but he was denied by the crossbar.[27] Shortly after, Rosario Central had their last opportunity to even the match, but a shot fromGermán Herrera was blocked by the defence. As a result, the game ended 4–3 to River Plate, who won their first Copa Argentina title.[26]
| River Plate | 4–3 | Rosario Central |
|---|---|---|
Alario 11' (pen.),40' (pen.),72'Alonso 75' | Report | Musto 26' Ruben 30',63' |
          River Plate |  Rosario Central |
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assistant referees | Match rules[28]
|
| Statistic | River Plate | Rosario Central |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 4 | 3 |
| Total shots | 11 | 13 |
| Shots on target | 7 | 10 |
| Ball possession | 52% | 48% |
| Corner kicks | 0 | 4 |
| Fouls committed | 13 | 23 |
| Offsides | 1 | 3 |
| Yellow cards | 3 | 5 |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 |
The hat-trick scored byLucas Alario in the final allowed the striker to top the goalscorer list of the2015–16 Copa Argentina, as he totalized seven goals over six matches. He addressed this feat in a later interview: "I could have never imagined of scoring three times in a final, but I do always dream of doing my best to help the team. The goal this season was to win a title, and we achieved it. We were efficient with the chances we created."[30]
The winning strike for River Plate was courtesy ofIván Alonso, who was brought to the team byMarcelo Gallardo, after the manager saw in the Uruguayan an experienced striker that could help out as a substitute. Alonso reflected on the final a year later, stating: "It was an unforgettable moment; I get goosebumps whenever I see the images. I think it was the perfect ending to my career." He added further: "[The fourth goal] is in the top three goals of my career."[31]
Rosario Central'sEduardo Coudet resigned as coach of the team following the loss. He announced his departure in the press conference held after the match: "I've decided to step aside. I'm grateful to this club, which gave me the opportunity to coach. We've had two great years working together. I've been given everything, and along with the coaching staff, we've given it our all. I apologize to the fans for not being able to top it off."[32]
River Plate qualified to the2017 Copa Libertadores as winners of the 2015–16 Copa Argentina.[21] They would also finish the2016–17 Argentine Primera División in second place, outcome that yielded them a spot in the2018 Copa Libertadores. Rosario Central finished in 12th position of the league, and thus gained qualification to the2018 Copa Sudamericana.[20]
