And Racing He began to feel nervous that the dates were passing and the first victory in this championship did not come, the appointment against Arsenal was perfect for his confidence. With three great goals that reflected the difference in individual and collective hierarchy, the Academy was finally able to take the three points to readjust itself in the standings. A free kick from Piovi, another from Matías Rojas and a great collective play defined by Mura, the three left-footers, put numbers on the scoreboard at that distance that exists between the teams. He was even pleased that the Chilean Oscar Opazo made his debut and that Paolo Guerrero added another half hour of play, at a good level.
The last moment of the first half in Sarandí was the one that ended the game. It was the minute of Matías Rojas. The Paraguayan came out to play with the 10 on his back, a long-sleeved shirt to combat the summer cold, and a left foot that stood out. At the beginning of the play he threw a divine pipe at Felipe Peña Biafore, in position eight. Then, against the line, as a right wing, he created the free kick against Leonardo Marchi with a spin almost dancing on the ball. It was sung that, with confidence well up, Rojas was going to choose to kick on goal in that lateral free kick. But even with early warning it was not possible to stop that missile for Alejandro Medina.
The level of Rojas, along with Aníbal Moreno, is perhaps one of Fernando Gago’s greatest merits since he took over the Academy. The 27-year-old Paraguayan reached the blue and white half of Avellaneda in 2019, after being a protagonist in Defensa y Justicia that fought for the championship against that team led by Eduardo Coudet. Although he had given signs of his quality, until the arrival of Gago he had never finished establishing himself as a starter. In the 112 games that he has worn with the Racing shirt, he had not convinced the public or his coaches, who moved him through different positions.
The technician found his position for Rojas, a player of appearances. Lying on the right is, together with Carobero, the most dangerous card that the team has. Luckily, saving the distances of context, of Riyad Mahrez en Manchester City o Judge Zyech at Chelsea. Always on trial, forced to demonstrate, the confidence that Gago gave the Paraguayan was essential for him to show the best version of himself.
To the one trained in Cerro Porteño, who usually appears on the list of summoned by Guillermo Barros Schelotto for the Paraguayan team, His contract expires in June of this year. A problem that seems to be fashionable in Argentine soccer. In the academic microclimate, the Rojas contract is one of the central issues. Asked about it at a press conference, the coach responded with unusual forcefulness for his public statements: “I’m not interested in what other clubs do. As long as he has a contract, Matías Rojas is going to play for Racing”. A strong compliment.
The support is mutual. After the final of the Champions Trophy that the Academy won against Boca last year in San Luis, where the Paraguayan was one of the best on the field, Rojas was full of praise for the coach. With a particularity: he said that Carlos Alcaraz’s goal that defined that final was a basketball play that the DT showed on an iPad before the start of extra time.
“He said let’s do this and left. I don’t know at what point he takes out the analysis of making a play with such high heart rate. I started to analyze it later because at the moment it is difficult to think about it. It is clearly a conviction that we feel from day zero and we choose to believe. We knew we weren’t wrong,” said the left-handed number 10.
Matías Rojas walks so fine that in the visiting dressing room he was even able to joke that he gave an assist without touching the ball. It is that when the game was still 0-0, before the clock marked the first half hour of the game, Racing had a frontal free kick that seemed nailed for him. However, Rojas listened to the request of his teammate Gonzalo Piovi and left him the ball. Piovi also brought out his precise left foot and unleashed a kick that dug into the top right corner of Alejandro Medina.
But it wasn’t just those individual actions that gave Racing the victory at the Julio Grondona stadium, in a game with little friction, which only had its first offense after 11 minutes. The second goal was a play that is already a trademark of the team. Before Facundo Mura stung the void and defined with a sudden striker, Racing put together 29 touches!. A real goal. The second of the three that the Academy did in the first half, where he defined the game.