Club Mercedes ended its Primera C Reduced Tournament campaign by the narrowest possible margin. Leones FC won the round-of-16 second leg 1-0 at the Jorge Bernardo Griffa complex in Bella Vista, levelled the aggregate score at 2-2 and then prevailed 4-2 on penalties. Only the shootout ultimately transferred control of a closely balanced tie.
Mercedes had built an important advantage in the first match, winning 2-1 at home. Leones opened the scoring through Gustavo Britos, but the Mercedes side turned it around with two penalties converted by Leandro Amado and Juan Cruz Vera Borda. That result allowed the team to approach the return knowing that a draw would be enough to advance.
The second game remained goalless for most of the afternoon. Leones had to attack to extend its season, while Mercedes sought to manage the lead without abandoning its own attacking response. Tension grew with every minute because a single goal would alter the entire knockout contest. The turning point arrived in the 79th minute, when Juan Vieyra converted a penalty for 1-0.
That goal made the aggregate score 2-2 and sent qualification directly to spot kicks. Leones goalkeeper Lucas Alegre became the central figure there, saving two attempts and providing the edge his side needed to complete a 4-2 shootout victory. Mercedes keeper Semeniuk stopped one and came close to another, but was unable to reverse the difference.
Elimination is painful because the objective was so close, yet it does not diminish the value of the journey. Mercedes finished fifth in its zone and reached the playoffs after completing its best campaign since joining competitions organised by the AFA. Competing on equal terms over 180 minutes with a rival still chasing promotion confirms growth that one result cannot erase.
Leones, coached by Alejandro Ojeda, preserved its chance to fight for a place in Primera B. The comeback demanded patience: it had to repair the first-leg defeat, find a late goal and then maintain accuracy under shootout pressure. For Mercedes, the ending requires a different exercise—turning immediate frustration into sporting evaluation, squad decisions and planning for the next season.
The final assessment must acknowledge both sides of the afternoon. Mercedes went out because it could not convert penalties with equal efficiency, but it reached that moment after a season that raised its competitive standard. The next challenge is to retain a useful core, correct details exposed by knockout football and make this campaign a foundation, rather than an exception, for Primera C in 2027.
