I knew after that win at Belgrano that the road wouldn’t suddenly become smooth.

We followed it with a draw at home to Estudiantes, a match where we controlled long periods but again struggled to create consistently from wide areas. Then came the difficult stretch, four games, three defeats and one draw. The results hurt, but more than that, they confirmed something I had already been feeling from the touchline: we lacked creativity and unpredictability on the left.

Cabral’s injuries had taken more from us than expected. Without him, our build-up became lopsided, easier to defend, easier to trap. I spoke to Daniel Vega, and we agreed this was no longer a tactical issue we could solve internally, it was a personnel one.

Daniel moved quickly.

The first signing was Brian Aguirre

A 24-year-old left winger from Boca Juniors. Quick, fearless in one-v-one situations, capable of creating chances in tight spaces, exactly what our attack had been missing. We paid $925,000, a calculated investment in immediate impact.

The second was more opportunistic: Darwin Guagua,

A 20-year-old Ecuadorian left winger, signed as a free agent after being released by Independiente del Valle. Daniel initially hesitated — two players for the same position mid-season can destabilise a group. But I argued the opposite. We had already seen how difficult settling-in periods can be. Aguirre could carry the short-term load; Guagua represented low risk with upside.

Both justified the decision.

Aguirre made 7 appearances, scoring 3 goals and assisting 2.
Guagua made 6 appearances, scoring 3 and assisting 3.

Their numbers didn’t magically fix everything, we continued to struggle, but they gave us life. Width. Threat. Belief.

And then, something clicked.

The final six games of the league season brought six consecutive wins. No drama. No chaos. Just results. We surged up the table and dragged ourselves into the playoff places when it had looked impossible weeks earlier.

Our run ended with a 1–0 defeat to Vélez in the playoffs. Painful, yes but honest. We had squeezed everything from the group. Our title hopes ended there, and the league season closed as a disappointment rescued by resilience.

But the season wasn’t finished with us.

The Copa Argentina became our refuge and our redemption.

• First Round: Cipolletti 3–0
• Second Round: Gimnasia (Mendoza) 1–0
• Third Round: Racing (Córdoba) 5–1
• Quarter-Final: Sportivo Barracas 3–0
• Semi-Final: Aldosivi 4–0

That run earned us a final against Belgrano.

And in the final, we started as if we had been waiting all season for that moment.

Aristizábal scored after just one minute.
Miljevic doubled the lead on 55 minutes.
Belgrano pulled one back on 75, but we didn’t panic. We managed the game. We suffered together.

2–1. Copa Argentina AXION Energy Trophy winners.

Not a bad way to save a bad season.

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Youth Performance

If there is one area that gives me real pride, it is this.

Thiago Pérez made 16 appearances at right back, setting up 4 goals, averaging a 7.04 rating. Calm. Intelligent. Brave.

Moreyra started 6 matches and made 26 substitute appearances, contributing 5 assists and 2 goals, averaging 6.83. Reliable when we needed control late in games.

Tahiel Peralta started 27 games, delivering 5 goals and 4 assists, a genuine engine for the team.

But the revelation, the surprise was Matías Pecile.

Called upon when Morinigo was injured, he started 11 matches, came off the bench once, and provided 4 assists, outperforming Morinigo in half the games played. No fear. No hesitation. Just football.

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Lessons Learned

This season humbled me.

I learned that systems don’t exist in isolation, they depend on availability, rhythm, and balance. That recruitment timing matters as much as recruitment quality. That depth is not a luxury; it is protection.

I learned that young players must be trusted earlier, not later. And that stubbornness, even when rooted in belief must be checked by reality.

Most importantly, I learned that failure doesn’t always announce itself with collapse. Sometimes it whispers through missed chances, delayed adjustments, and small margins ignored too long.

We ended the season with silverware, momentum, and clarity.

Next season, the lessons won’t be theoretical.

They will shape everything.