Anyone that thought that Arsenal had this title wrapped up were in for a rude awakening when Cristian Díaz put the ball in his own net. This why the entire town of Sarandí came and supported their beloved "little club" They were on top of their game and had the visitors on the ropes for most of the game , but Wednesday night became tense with a quickness.
In the 64th minute, must have struck midnight for Arsenal as América assured themselves of the title in the only shot they had up to this point in the match. Duilio Davino’s cross was dummied by Salvador Cabañas and Juan Carlos Silva slammed the ball home to take the 2-1 lead. If the first goal stunned Arsenal, the second one left them groggy for a good portion of the second half. Their offense looked more desperate with crosses and shot by Alejandro Gómez.
The Argentines did not help their cause with infantile fouls in the midfield that gave possession to Las Águilas in a more favorable position on the pitch. This was a domino effect after they bean to lose possession in the midfield and depended more on the deep cross than they did on the ball on the floor that generated a great deal of offense for them in the first half.
Part of them being shutout was a combination of Guillermo Ochoa and his two best defenders- the crossbar and the right post. These last two rejected two clear opportunities taken within the six yard box. Martín Andrizzi seemed to have found the answer in the 81st minute, but Ochoa once again was the hero. But he would have his revenge in the 83rd minute. He received the ball and while falling down, was able to pass the ball through a forest of defenders and past Ochoa snatching the title right back. The goal was a testament to his desire and will surely become one of the most dramatic goals in tournament history.
The goal unraveled the Mexican giants as Lucas Castromán and Duilio Davino were sent off due to them losing their head. So much so was their ire as well as their coach’s
América came close but several controversial calls by Colombian referee Oscar Julián Ruíz left an indelible mark regardless of who won the match. "(The refereeing) did not go our way,"said América coach Daniel Brailovsky, "he killed us." What he talked about was that no call by Ruíz of a penalty that could have favored either Cabañas or Aníbal Matellán.
Arsenal will now face Copa Libertadores winner Boca Juniors next summer in the Recopa. They became the first team in South American football history to be crowned champs without winning a home game.
Arsenal 1-2 América
Goals: AME- Díaz (18′- OG), Silva (63′)
ARS- Andrizzi (84′)
Bookings: ARS- Yacuzzi, San Martín, Villar; AME- Davino, Rojas, Silva, Villa, Cabañas,
Sent Off: AME- Castromán, Davino
América 2-3 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-2 América