2019 Copa Argentina final

2019 Copa Argentina final
The match was played at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas.
Event2018–19 Copa Argentina
Central Córdoba (SdE) River Plate
0 3
DateDecember 13, 2019
VenueEstadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza
RefereeFacundo Tello[1]
Attendance40,000[2]

The 2019 Copa Argentina final was a football match between Central Córdoba (SdE) and River Plate on 13 December 2019 at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, Argentina. It was the final match of the 2018–19 Copa Argentina, the tenth edition of Argentine football's annual cup competition, organised by the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Central Córdoba were appearing in the final for the first time, while River Plate were making their third appearance after winning the competition consecutively in 2016 and 2017.

Both teams entered the competition in the final round, although Central Córdoba were in the Primera B Nacional, the second tier of the football league system in Argentina, and thereby outside the top-flight Primera División. 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. All of Central Córdoba's matches were close affairs, while the majority of River Plate's contests varied from close to comfortable victories.

Watched by a crowd of 40,000, River Plate took the lead 30 minutes into the match courtesy of striker Ignacio Scocco. They extended this lead in the second half when midfielder Ignacio Fernández scored, and added one further four minutes later after a goal from Julián Alvarez. Following a 3–0 scoreline, River Plate earned their third Copa Argentina win.

Route to the final

Main article: 2018–19 Copa Argentina

Central Córdoba (SdE)

Central Córdoba's route to the final
Round Opposition Score
R64 Nueva Chicago 1–0
R32 All Boys 1–0
R16 Villa Mitre 2–1
QF Estudiantes (LP) 1–0
SF Lanús 1–0

As a Primera B Nacional team, Central Córdoba started their Copa Argentina campaign in the Round of 64, being drawn against fellow second tier side Nueva Chicago. The match, played at the Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao López, saw its only goal when Facundo Melivilo capitalized on a mistake in defence early in the closing half. This goal sent Central Córdoba through to the next round, where they would face another Primera B Nacional squad in All Boys.[3] At the Estadio 15 de Abril, Colombian forward Joao Rodríguez scored the solitary goal of the game following a pass by Lisandro Alzugaray, which granted his team qualification into the Round of 16.[4] Torneo Federal A side Villa Mitre were their next opposition, in a match held at the Estadio Alvaro Pedro Ducás. The score would remain goalless until the 76th minute, when Central Córdoba's Jonathan Herrera scored after a cross from Melivilo. They extended their lead through Alzugaray nearing the end of the half. Villa Mitre pulled one back in stoppage time, but were unable to tie the game.[5]

In the quarter-finals, they faced fellow Primera División team Estudiantes (LP).[note 1] At the Estadio Monumental Presidente Perón, Gervasio Núñez put Central Córdoba ahead in the 74th minute, after he received a pass from Herrera. They held on to the advantage to see the match off and progress into the semi-finals.[7] Their last opposition before the final were Lanús, who they played at the Estadio Carlos Augusto Mercado Luna. After a scoreless opening half, midfielder Cristian Vega unleashed a volley far from the 18-yard box that beat the opposing goalkeeper.[8] Central Córdoba managed to fend off Lanus' efforts during the remainder of the game, and clinched a fourth 1–0 victory to reach their first Copa Argentina final.[9]

River Plate

River Plate's route to the final
Round Opposition Score
R64 Argentino de Merlo 3–0
R32 Gimnasia y Esgrima (M) 1–1 (5–4 p)
R16 Godoy Cruz 1–0
QF Almagro 2–0
SF Estudiantes (BA) 2–0

River Plate also started their campaign in the Round of 64, where they were drawn against Primera D squad Argentino de Merlo at the Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena. The match remained tied until the 70th minute, when Rafael Santos Borré scored from a rebound to put River Plate ahead. The Colombian striker later assisted Matías Suárez twice to seal a 3–0 scoreline that sent them into the next round.[10] In the Round of 32, they faced Gimnasia y Esgrima (M), from the Primera B Nacional, at the Estadio Único de Villa Mercedes. River Plate once again opened the scoring midway through the second half, after a shot from Benjamin Rollheiser was swung for the net by Exequiel Palacios. Their opposition responded swiftly, however, as they tied the match just four minutes later. No further goals were scored, and thus a penalty shoot-out was called to determine a winner. Both teams had converted their three opening spot kicks up until the fourth Gimansia y Esgrima penalty, which hit the crossbar. As no other spot kicks were missed, River Plate advanced into the Round of 16, where they played fellow Primera División side Godoy Cruz.[11] At the Estadio Ciudad de Lanús, River Plate broke the parity in the 22nd minute, when a Fernández cross was headed by two opposing players into their own net. The score would remain, ensuring their progression into the quarter-finals.[12]

In the next round, they were paired against another Primera B Nacional team in Almagro. Just six minutes into the game, Borré opened the scoring at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, following a rebound from a shot that hit the crossbar. Twelve minutes from the restart, Ignacio Scocco made it 2–0 after controlling a chipped pass from Fernández. No further goals were scored, and River Plate reached the semi-finals.[13] Primera B Nacional squad Estudiantes (BA) were their last opposition before the final.[14] The teams had already faced each other in the 2012–13 edition, where Estudiantes knocked River Plate out in the Round of 32 with a 1–0 scoreline.[15] The rematch, held at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, saw River Plate take the lead after Lucas Martínez Quarta headed the ball from a corner over to Javier Pinola, who scored with a header of his own in injury time of the first half. The score remained unchanged until stoppage time of the closing half, when Palacios finished a counter-attack by taking a shot on an empty net. Following a 2–0 win, River Plate advanced into their third Copa Argentina final.[14]

Background

The Copa Argentina was first established in 1969 to grant qualification to CONMEBOL's Copa Ganadores de Copa, the South American equivalent of the European Cup Winners' Cup. However, the governing body gave way in 1971 to the second edition of the Copa Ganadores de Copa while the 1970 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.[16] The tournament was eventually reinstated in 2011, after a 42-year hiatus.[17] It continued to be played without interruption until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina arose, and matches pertaining to the 2019–20 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.[18] From there on out, the Copa Argentina has been held annually.[17]

The match was Central Córdoba's first appearance in a Copa Argentina final. In turn, River Plate were appearing for the third time, having won their previous two finals. They had first beaten Rosario Central 4–3 in 2016, and then succesfully defended their title against Atlético Tucumán, who they beat 2–1 in the 2017 edition.[19] It was the first meeting between the two sides in the competition, and the second overall. Their only other official game was during the 1967 Campeonato Nacional, which ended 1–0 in favour of River Plate.[20]

Both teams played their last match before the final on 8 December. Central Córdoba suffered a 2–1 away defeat against Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP), while River Plate lost 1–0 to San Lorenzo at the Estadio Monumental.[21]

Match

Summary

First half

Goalkeeper Franco Armani denied two clear chances from Central Córdoba.

River Plate attempted to gain early control of the game, looking for ball possession in the Central Córdoba half. Their opposition replied through an intense display, as they exerted significant effort in order to negate those advances, which proved to be successful.[22] The 5–4–1 formation lined up by their manager Gustavo Coleoni was the key to the strategy, which allowed for high pressure.[23] River Plate's first opportunity arose in the 11th minute, when Javier Pinola headed over the crossbar a Ignacio Fernández corner kick.[24] They had another chance following a filtered pass from Exequiel Palacios, which Rafael Santos Borré was unable to control. Central Córdoba responded shortly after, as a Gervasio Núñez shot from afar forced goalkeeper Franco Armani into a save.[22] In the 23rd minute, Ignacio Scocco unveiled a shot from close range which was blocked by an opposing defender. The subsequent rebound fell to Palacios, but his effort went over the woodwork.[24] Minutes later, Jonathan Herrera had the chance to open the scoring for Central Córdoba, as he found himself with only Armani to beat. The goalkeeper successfully defended his shot, however, and thus the score remained.[22] The deadlock was eventually broken a half-hour into the game through Scocco, stemming from an individual play in which the River Plate striker controlled the ball and immediately turned on his markers.[23] He was then left one-on-one with goalkeeper Diego Rodríguez, who managed to save his initial shot, but was unable to follow up on the rebound.[22] No other goals were scored in the first half as it came to a closing.[25]

Second half

During half-time, Central Córdoba's Coleoni called midfielder Núñez to leave the field for striker Joao Rodríguez. He further rearranged his team ten minutes from the restart, when defender Ismael Quílez was replaced by forward Franco Cristaldo.[24] Nonetheless, River Plate had a chance to extend their lead at the 60-minute mark, but Scocco's header went wide of the goal. Five minutes later, coach Marcelo Gallardo made a substitution of his own, when he subbed Julián Alvarez in for fellow striker Borré. They would extend their lead shortly after, as a result of a one-two passing play between Fernández and Scocco that gave way to the midfielder scoring their second goal. They added one more just four minutes later, following another team effort, mainly led by Fernández, which resulted in a finish by Alvarez.[25] Central Córdoba attempted to pull one back through Alzugaray in the 75th minute, and through two consecutive shots from Herrera and Nicolás Miracco in the 78th, but were unsuccessful. As no further efforts were to be had by either side, the match concluded with a 3–0 victory for River Plate, who were subsequently crowned champions of the Copa Argentina for a third time.[24]

Details

Central Córdoba (SdE)0–3River Plate
Report Scocco 30'
Fernández 67'
Álvarez 71'
Attendance: 40,000[2]
Referee: Facundo Tello
Central Córdoba (SdE)
River Plate

Assistant referees
Gabriel Chade[1]
Facundo Rodríguez[1]
Fourth official
Pablo Echavarría[1]

Match rules[26]

  • 90 minutes
  • No extra-time
  • Penalty shoot-out if necessary
  • Seven named substitutes, of which up to three may be used

Statistics

Overall[27]
Statistic Central Córdoba (SdE) River Plate
Goals scored 0 3
Total shots 10 11
Shots on target 7 6
Ball possession 31% 69%
Corner kicks 2 4
Fouls committed 25 7
Offsides 0 3
Yellow cards 3 0
Red cards 0 0

Post-match

The match was Exequiel Palacios' last at River Plate, as he was set to join German team Bayer 04 Leverkusen starting 2020. Following the win, he stated with emotion: "I wanted to leave with another title, and it luckily happened." He further added: "River Plate is my home. I arrived when I was six or seven years old, and I’ve spent my whole life here [...] Thanks [to the fans] for the support you've shown me and my teammates. I'm hoping to make a return someday."[28]

River Plate finished the 2019–20 Superliga Argentina in second place, and thus qualified to the 2021 Copa Libertadores. In turn, Central Córdoba could only manage an 18th place finish.[21] It was the first time they were participating in the highest tier of Argentine football since 1971.[29]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Central Córdoba played their first two Copa Argentina rounds while competing in the 2018–19 Primera B Nacional, the second tier of the Argentine football league system. They later gained promotion to the first division on 8 June 2019, before their Round of 16 match against Villa Mitre.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Hay árbitro para la final". Olé. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b "River golea y conquista tercera Copa Argentina en cuatro años para clasificar a la Libertadores". Infobae. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  3. ^ Olé, Diario Deportivo (2019-04-03). "No durmió la siesta". Olé (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  4. ^ Clarín, Redacción (2019-08-21). "El sorprendente Central Córdoba también avanzó en la Copa Argentina". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  5. ^ Clarín, Redacción (2019-09-08). "Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero sufrió, pero consiguió el pase a los octavos de final de la Copa Argentina". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  6. ^ "Argentina 2018/19". RSSSF. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  7. ^ Clarín, Redacción (2019-10-16). "Central Córdoba pisa fuerte y está en semifinales de la Copa Argentina". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  8. ^ Clarín, Redacción (2019-11-13). "Histórico: Central Córdoba eliminó a Lanús y es finalista de la Copa Argentina". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  9. ^ "C. Córdoba (SE) 1-0 Lanús (14 de Nov., 2019) Análisis del partido - ESPN (AR)". ESPN (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  10. ^ "River Plate 3-0 Argentino Merlo (17 de Abr., 2019) Análisis del partido - ESPN (AR)". ESPN (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  11. ^ Clarín, Redacción (2019-07-16). "River la pasó mal con Gimnasia, pero tuvo más puntería en los penales y evitó la eliminación". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  12. ^ "Godoy Cruz 0-1 River Plate (18 de Sep., 2019) Análisis del partido - ESPN (AR)". ESPN (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  13. ^ en, Seguir (2019-10-11). "Con los retornos de Quintero y Ponzio, River venció a Almagro en Mendoza y se clasificó a la semifinal de la Copa Argentina". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  14. ^ a b Gómez, Ramón (2019-11-13). "A River le alcanzó con poco para ser finalista de la Copa Argentina". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  15. ^ "El antecedente en el que River ya enfrentó a Estudiantes (BA) y fue eliminado de la Copa Argentina - TyC Sports". www.tycsports.com (in Spanish). 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  16. ^ "Copa Argentina: la historia de la final que lleva 51 años sin definirse". Todo Noticias (in Spanish). 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  17. ^ a b "Morón 0-2 ROS (20 de Sep., 2016) Análisis del partido - ESPN (AR)". ESPN (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  18. ^ Clarín, Redacción (2020-12-11). "La Copa Argentina seguirá el año que viene y se abre un cupo para la Libertadores 2021: será de Vélez o de Defensa". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  19. ^ "Argentina - Domestic Cup History". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  20. ^ Mirelman, Nicolás (2019-12-13). "El historial de enfrentamientos entre River y Central Córdoba". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  21. ^ a b "Argentina 2019/20". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  22. ^ a b c d en, Seguir (2019-12-13). "River goleó a Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero y se consagró campeón de la Copa Argentina por tercera vez en su historia". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  23. ^ a b Benozzi, Maximiliano (2019-12-13). "River levantó en Mendoza su tercera Copa Argentina con una goleada y varios lujos". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  24. ^ a b c d "C. Córdoba (SE) 0-3 River Plate (13 de Dic., 2019) Commentary - ESPN (AR)". ESPN (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  25. ^ a b Ruya, Ariel (2019-12-14). "River campeón de la Copa Argentina: goleó por 3-0 a Central Córdoba y festeja a lo grande en Mendoza". LA NACION (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  26. ^ "REGLAMENTO COPA ARGENTINA 2018/2019" (PDF), afa.com.ar, retrieved 2026-01-28
  27. ^ "Argentina - Copa Argentina 2019 - COMPARATIVA" (in Spanish). AFA. 13 December 2019.
  28. ^ en, Seguir (2019-12-14). "Palacios se quebró en su despedida de River: "Me pone un poco mal porque voy a extrañar estas cosas"". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  29. ^ "Después de 48 años, Central Córdoba vuelve a la Primera División - TyC Sports". www.tycsports.com (in Spanish). 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
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