Boca Juniors, recent champion of the Diego Maradona Cup, will debut against Gimnasia La Plata, while River Plate will go to La Plata to face Estudiantes, on the first date of the new Professional Football League (LPF) Cup, which It will begin the second weekend of February.
The directors of Argentine soccer met in one of the halls of the Hilton Hotel in Puerto Madero, where the program for a championship that will have 26 participants and that will be divided into two zones of 13 each was drawn up.
Each day will include twelve meetings, corresponding to groups A and B, plus an interzonal, which will be postponed on the first date, since Platense and Sarmiento de Junín, two of the recently promoted, will have more time to prepare.
Meanwhile, the superclassic of Argentine soccer between Boca and River was scheduled, again, in La Bombonera. It will correspond to the fifth date and will be held on Sunday, March 14.
The derby of Avellaneda, under the figure of the relevant interzonal, will be played on the ninth day, at the Juan Domingo Perón Cylinder, with Racing at home.
In another order, for the fourth day, San Lorenzo will receive Huracán in the interzonal, in a match scheduled for Sunday, March 7.
Other scheduled classic clashes were paired as follows: Rosario Central-Newell’s (date 12, at the Gigante de Arroyito); Students-Gymnastics (date 10, at the stadium on Calle 57 and 1) and Colón-Unión (date 13, at Brigadier Estanislao López).
The first four from each of the zones will qualify for the quarterfinals of the competition, where the best placed teams will have home advantage.
The crosses will be the first of A against the fourth of B, second of A against third of B, third of A with second of B and fourth of A before the winner of B.
For its part, both the semifinals and the final will be played in a neutral stadium.
In the event of a tie in the 90 minutes of the definition, an extra time of 30 will be played and, if equality persists, the title will be resolved through penalty kicks. The winner will ensure access to the 2022 edition of the Copa Libertadores.
El fixture
The following is the full Professional League Cup schedule for the 2021 season.
First date, February 14:
Zone A: Rosario Central-Argentinos Juniors; Students-River Plate; Aldosivi-Godoy Cruz; Banfield-Racing Club; San Lorenzo-Arsenal and Central Córdoba-Colón.
Zone B: Vélez Sarsfield-Newell’s Old Boys; Boca Juniors-Gymnastics; Workshops-Board of Trustees; Independent-Lanús; Defense and Justice-Huracán and Unión-Atlético Tucumán.
Interzonal: Platense-Sarmiento de Junín (postponed).
Second date, February 21:
Zone A: Colón-San Lorenzo; Arsenal-Banfield; Racing Club-Aldosivi; Godoy Cruz-Students; River Plate-Rosario Central and Argentinos Juniors-Platense.
Zone B: Hurricane-Union; Lanús-Defense and Justice; Independent-Board; Gymnastics-Workshops; Newell’s Old Boys-Boca Juniors and Sarmiento-Vélez Sarsfield.
Interzonal: Atlético Tucumán-Central Córdoba.
Third date, February 28:
Zone A: Platense-River Plate; Rosario Central-Godoy Cruz; Students-Racing Club; Aldosivi-Arsenal; Banfield-Colón and San Lorenzo-Central Córdoba.
Zone B: Boca Juniors-Sarmiento; Workshops-Newell’s Old Boys; Independent-Gymnastics; Defense and Justice-Board of Trustees; Unión-Lanús and Atlético Tucumán-Huracán.
Interzonal: Argentinos Juniors-Vélez Sarsfield.
Fourth date, March 7:
Zone A: Central Córdoba-Banfield; Colón-Aldosivi, Arsenal-Students; Racing Club-Rosario Central; Godoy Cruz-Platense and River Plate-Argentinos Juniors.
Zone B: Lanús-Atlético Tucumán; Patronage-Union; Gymnastics-Defense and Justice; Newell’s Old Boys-Independent; Sarmiento-Talleres and Vélez Sarsfield-Boca Juniors.
Interzonal: San Lorenzo-Huracán.
Fifth date, March 14:
Zone A: Argentinos Juniors-Godoy Cruz; Platense-Racing Club; Rosario Central-Arsenal; Students-Colón; Aldosivi-Central Córdoba and Banfield-San Lorenzo.
Zone B: Talleres-Vélez Sarsfield; Independent-Sarmiento; Defense and Justice-Newell’s Old Boys; Union-Gymnastics; Atlético Tucumán-Patronato and Huracán-Lanús.
Interzonal: Boca Juniors-River Plate.
Sixth date, March 21:
Zone A: San Lorenzo-Aldosivi; Central Córdoba-Students; Colon-Rosario Central; Arsenal-Platense; Racing Club-Argentinos Juniors and Godoy Cruz-River Plate.
Zone B: Patronato-Huracán; Gymnastics-Atlético Tucumán; Newell’s Old Boys-Union; Sarmiento-Defense and Justice; Vélez Sarsfield-Independiente and Boca Juniors-Talleres.
Interzonal: Banfield-Lanús.
Seventh date, March 28:
Zone A: River Plate-Racing Club; Argentinos Juniors-Arsenal; Platense-Colón; Rosario Central-Central Córdoba; Students-San Lorenzo and Aldosivi-Banfield.
Zone B: Independent-Boca Juniors; Defense and Justice-Vélez Sarsfield; Union-Sarmiento; Atlético Tucumán-Newell’s Old Boys; Huracán-Gimnasia and Lanús-Patronato.
Interzonal: Workshops-Godoy Cruz.
Eighth date, April 4:
Zone A: Banfield-Students; San Lorenzo-Rosario Central; Central Córdoba-Platense; Colón-Argentinos Juniors; Arsenal-River Plate and Racing Club-Godoy Cruz.
Zone B: Gymnastics-Lanús; Newell’s Old Boys-Hurricane; Sarmiento-Atlético Tucumán; Velez Sarsfield-Union; Boca Juniors-Defense and Justice and Workshops-Independent.
Interzonal: Patronato-Aldosivi.
Ninth date, April 11:
Zone A: Godoy Cruz-Arsenal; River Plate-Colón; Argentinos Juniors-Central Córdoba; Platense-San Lorenzo; Rosario Central-Banfield and Estudiantes-Aldosivi.
Zone B: Defense and Justice-Workshops; Union-Boca Juniors; Atlético Tucumán-Vélez Sarsfield; Hurricane-Sarmiento; Lanús-Newell’s and Patronato-Gimnasia.
Interzonal: Racing Club-Independiente.
Tenth date, April 18:
Zone A: Aldosivi-Rosario Central; Banfield-Platense; San Lorenzo-Argentinos Juniors; Central Córdoba-River Plate; Colón-Godoy Cruz and Arsenal-Racing Club.
Zone B: Newell’s Old Boys-Patronato; Sarmiento-Lanús; Vélez Sarsfield-Huracán; Boca Juniors-Atlético Tucumán; Workshops-Union and Independent-Defense and Justice.
Interzonal: Students-Gymnastics.
Eleventh date, April 25:
Zone A: Racing Club-Colón; Godoy Cruz-Central Córdoba; River Plate-San Lorenzo; Argentinos Juniors-Banfield; Platense-Aldosivi and Rosario Central-Estudiantes.
Zone B: Union-Independent; Atlético Tucumán-Talleres; Hurricane-Boca Juniors; Lanús-Vélez Sarsfield; Patronato-Sarmiento y Gimnasia-Newell’s Old Boys.
Interzonal: Defense and Justice-Arsenal.
Twelfth date, May 2:
Zone A: Students-Platense; Aldosivi-Argentinos Juniors; Banfield-River Plate; San Lorenzo-Godoy Cruz; Central Córdoba-Racing Club and Colón-Arsenal.
Zone B: Sarmiento-Gimnasia; Vélez Sarsfield-Patronato; Boca Juniors-Lanús; Workshops-Hurricane; Independiente-Atlético Tucumán and Defense and Justice-Union.
Interzonal: Rosario Central-Newell’s Old Boys.
Thirteenth date, May 9:
Zone A: Arsenal-Central Córdoba; Racing Club-San Lorenzo; Godoy Cruz-Banfield; River Plate-Aldosivi; Argentinos Juniors-Estudiantes and Platense-Rosario Central.
Zone B: Atlético Tucumán-Defense and Justice; Hurricane-Independent; Lanús-Workshops; Board-Boca Juniors; Gymnastics-Vélez Sarsfield and Newell’s Old Boys-Sarmiento.
Interzonal: Colón-Unión.
–
