Kudelka's Hurricane gave itself the night that history had been denying it and eliminated Independiente in Avellaneda, with penalties and a lot of heart.

The final penalty kick crumbles in Hernán Galíndez 's hands, and at the same time, the Reds' dream of winning a domestic title they've been chasing for 23 years. The face of youngster Santiago Hidalgo , who has barely crossed the 20-year barrier, turns to tears, and the fans can't believe it. There's lukewarm applause in the Libertadores de América stadium and profound disappointment as they leave. Independiente had a great season, but Huracán reached the final.

And it may have been in the penalty shootout, with the dying breath, but no one can question the merits of this Globo , soaring high and awaiting San Lorenzo, no less, or Platense in Santiago del Estero. It was no coincidence that they fought for the championship against Vélez until the end of the 2024 Professional League. Nor was their current status in the Copa Sudamericana. Frank Kudelka assembled a solid, intense, stinging team that leaves every last drop of sweat. He showed it again under the moon of Avellaneda, the very same place where they lost a final in the 1990s and where the enthusiasm they've been spreading since 1973 took root.

A match of this nature was expected. With Independiente controlling the ball and Huracán counterattacking, what El Rojo couldn't have imagined was such pressure from Globo at the start. The first few minutes were very favorable for the visitors due to the massive siege on the home side's exit. And the play that Matko Miljevic recovered after Santiago Montiel 's indecision, which didn't end in a goal because Rodrigo Rey narrowed it down to César Ibáñez , was a testament to the concept.

Kudelka studied the lesson very well. He knew he had to nullify Kevin Lomónaco , but he also couldn't neglect Iván Marcone and Felipe Loyola , the builders of red football. In that sense, Eric Ramírez was the first soldier in the pressing. Leonardo Gil and Leonel Pérez took care of the central midfielders. And on the flanks, Walter Mazzantti covered Alvaro Angulo .

Independiente was uncomfortable , and to top it all off, Hernán Mastrángelo allowed too many fouls. Lomónaco often wears an oversized shirt, and it became clear when he was tagged three times at the start of the play. The referee only just handed out the first yellow card for a foul by Marco Pellegrino on Matías Giménez .

Independiente enjoyed a great deal of possession (72% at the end of the first half), but only began to develop around the half-hour mark, when Rey had once again shown his reflexes to save a Mazzantti header at the edge of the six-yard box. Then, Luciano Cabral began to shine. With a few touches, the number 10 was the clearest. Angulo surged forward, finding himself in double opposition from Tomás Guidara and Mazzantti himself. With the wingers playing on opposite legs—Montiel on the right and Diego Tarzia on the left—he tried to inject damage into the box. However, he didn't have any clear chances in Hernán Galíndez 's box.

The best of the opening half was a fine one-two between Matías Giménez —who was both supportive and dedicated—and Cabral, followed by a pass from Loyola to Montiel, who finished high. Then came a header from Sebastián Valdez off a corner that fell to Galíndez's gloves, and a run from Tarzia that found the goalkeeper's hand before the Chilean, who was behind everyone, could tap it in.

The first game of the night in Avellaneda was entertaining, thanks to Huracán's quick transitions, especially sharp on the wings, and Independiente's ball control.

And at the start of the second half, Huracán almost opened the scoring with a Miljevic bomb that met with another great response from Rey. The tone of the match didn't change much from what had been seen in the opening half. And from a set piece, Lomónaco came close to scoring, but Galíndez swung his header wide of the corner.

Vaccari made some changes to the bench. Hidalgo came on for Tarzia, but the change didn't work; he lost depth because he played in a position the kid doesn't feel comfortable with. Kudelka changed names. First, he changed the number 9, leaving the tired Ramírez and replacing Leonardo Sequeira. Later, Gabriel Alanis came on for Urzi, also tired from running around. It was just a couple of tweaks, a sign that the team was solid.

The Reds' coach had two more windows left. Fernández Cedrés and Lautaro Millán came on. Then came Pablo Galdames and Gabriel Avalos. Everyone was hoping for a goal from the Paraguayan, who hadn't played since April 28. However, he not only failed to create a chance in Galíndez's penalty area; he also missed the first penalty. Rey did everything he could to hold Independiente back. In regular time and from the penalty spot, when he saved Gil's match point . But Huracán was more accurate. The responsibility didn't weigh on them. And they will travel to Santiago aboard a half-century-old dream.