By Matías Candoli:
The initial defeat for the League Cup, at the end of January in Talleres against Gimnasia at the Kempes with a goal against Matías Catalán seems like just a bad memory. The thing is that, after that, the Jardín neighborhood team built game by game, an illusion that has many foundations in the team’s performance on the field and on the table.
After the defeat against Lobo, the T chained two wins: 2 to 1 against Huracán and 4 to 1 against Rosario Central. Then came the classic against Instituto with a vibrant 2 to 2, the 2 to 1 victory against Argentinos Juniors and some dark clouds threatened the clear albiazul sky starting with the 2 to 1 loss against Barracas Central, the 2 to 2 draw against Belgrano in Alberdi in the classic and the same result achieved against River. Some questions to the coach that were dispelled with good games and victories. Thus, the narrow victory against the tough Deportivo Riestra as a visitor and the 4-1 win against Atlético Tucumán at the Kempes followed.
Then it was the categorical 3-0 with Agropecuario in the Argentine Cup debut plus the draw with Banfield and the victory against Vélez. Thus, with a chance of qualifying for the round of 16 of the local competition with two dates to go, Talleres arrived at the opening match of the Copa Libertadores with a 2-1 win against San Pablo at the Kempes, confirming the team’s good moment.
With the idea of fulfilling the objective of classification, the fans had a small disappointment with the decision of DT Ribonetto to put substitutes against Independiente Rivadavia with a tie in a goal that left no one happy. Then, the T traveled to Ecuador and tied two goals against Barcelona in an emotional match and reached a true final against Independiente in Avellaneda. Whoever won qualified. But they tied 2 to 2 and both were left wanting.
Ten days later the team went to Chile and defeated Cobresal without a doubt by 2 to 0, then defeated Barcelona de Guayaquil by 3 to 1 at the Kempes, ensuring with that victory a place in the round of 16 of the Libertadores. With that tranquility of that objective achieved, the League Tournament began.
The initial date had him at the T again in Avellaneda against Rojo but this time he was forceful and defeated them 3 to 1 with a high level of his forwards led by an intractable Ramón Sosa. That game was followed by the 1-0 victory against Cobresal in Córdoba and the 2-0 victory against Atlético, also at home.
Emboldened by the good moment, the T went to the Bombonera and was close to beating Boca but ended up settling for a goalless draw. Then they went to Morumbí where they fell 2 to 0, finishing second in the group. And they closed the semester with a victory against Central Córdoba, in Santiago del Estero by 4 to 2. Then they competed again for the Argentine Cup and defeated the very tough Colón by 1 to 0, ensuring their place in the quarterfinals of one of their objectives for this anus.
In the last game of the semester, T beat Platense 2 to 1, thus closing a more than positive first half, among the leaders of the tournament. Thinking about what is coming, which is the continuity of the Professional League and the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores against River, we have to wait for the movements of the transfer market but the dreams of the albiazules are based on continuing to build with a squad in accordance with those objectives set at the beginning of the year of fighting each tournament until the end.
