Copa Argentina Review: Banfield book final round of 16 berth

Newly promoted Argentine Primera Division club Banfield were the last team to advance to the Copa Argentina’s round of 16 on Tuesday.

Banfield cruised past fellow top-tier club Quilmes 4-0 thanks to goals from Juan Ramon Cazares, Fabian Noguera, Nicolas Tagliafico and captain Santiago Salcedo, joining the likes of San Lorenzo, River Plate and Argentinos Juniors in the final 16 of Argentina’s premier cup competition.

Boca Juniors, Newell’s Old Boys and Lanus were some of the biggest sides to be eliminated from the Copa Argentina.

Banfield lost their opening Primera Division match of the 2014-15 season 3-0 to Godoy Cruz on Friday to sit bottom in the standings but the reigning Primera B Nacional champions bounced back on Tuesday at Quilmes.

Matias Almeyda’s men hit the front after just eight minutes when Cazares knocked the loose ball into the roof of the net, after a pair of earlier shots from team-mates had been saved and come off the post, respectively.

Noguera made it 2-0 in the 25th minute with a bicycle kick, while Banfield stretched their lead further just after the hour mark thanks to a 20-yard missile from Tagliafico.

The defender’s 64th-minute strike was followed just four minutes later by Salcedo’s tap-in from Cazares’ cross as the visitors wrapped up a comfortable victory.

Banfield’s triumph completed the round of 32 with matches stretching back to mid-July.

Copa Libertadores finalists San Lorenzo were the first team to advance, overcoming third-tier club Almirante Brown 2-0 on July 17, while Argentine giants River Plate needed penalties to defeat Ferro Carril Oeste, who play in the second division, with regulation time ending scoreless before the 36-time Primera Division champions triumphed 6-5 in the shootout.

Juan Roman Riquelme’s new employers Argentinos Juniors defeated Gimnasia La Plata in a shootout after their tie finished goalless too, while other Primera Division clubs to advance included Estudiantes, Atletico Rafaela, Rosario Central, Racing Club, Tigre, Independiente and Defensa y Justicia.

The major shock of the round of 32 was Talleres de Cordoba coming from behind to defeat top-tier club Newell’s Old Boys.

Newell’s won the Primera Division’s Torneo Final in 2013 but were unable to overcome Talleres from the third division, losing 3-1, while Boca Juniors went down 2-0 to second-tier Huracan Lanus lost 1-0 to Colon.

In other results, Instituto trumped Arsenal 3-1 and Estudiantes Caseros won 2-0 over Velez Sarsfield.