Acassuso keep their nerve to leave Quilmes in the cup

Cup football has a way of making a hierarchy feel suddenly less solid. On Wednesday, Club Atlético Acassuso, a second-tier side, took that uncertainty into a penalty shoot-out and came out with a place in the next round, beating top-flight Quilmes Atlético Club 4-3 from the spot after a 1-1 draw in the Copa Argentina.

At República de Mataderos, Quilmes had the greater share of the threat: 16 shots to Acassuso’s three, and 14 corners to two. But the numbers could not settle the tie. Acassuso goalkeeper Francisco Blengio kept Quilmes at bay with six saves, while Maximiliano Brítez, introduced at half-time, scored for the underdogs. Franco Saucedo was Quilmes’ scorer, before being replaced at the interval.

The crowd of 20,289 had seen the contest remain level after 90 minutes. Then the penalties offered no room for the division between these clubs to matter. Acassuso held their nerve; Quilmes were left with the long walk back from a cup tie they had pressed hard to win.

For Acassuso, this was more than a surprise result. It was a reminder of what a national cup can offer clubs beyond the top flight: a night in which the smaller side’s resilience can stand up to a richer volume of chances, and the whole crowd waits on each kick. Blengio’s work in goal gave his team the chance to reach that reckoning. Brítez’s contribution gave it a foothold in the match. The penalties completed the upset.