01/09/26 04:50:00
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01/09 16:48 CST American coach Matarazzo gets first win as Real Sociedad sneak
late win at Getafe
American coach Matarazzo gets first win as Real Sociedad sneak late win at
Getafe
MADRID (AP) --- Brais Mendez scored a goal-of-the-season contender as Real
Sociedad won at Getafe 2-1 and gave American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo his
first win in charge of the Basque club on Friday.
The ball fell kindly for the big midfielder right on the 18-yard line and he
struck the sweetest of volleys past a despairing goalkeeper late in the first
half.
Juanmi equalized for Getafe in the 90th minute but defender Jon Aramburu gave
Sociedad the win when he headed home a corner kick six minutes into stoppage
time
The result was a welcome victory for new boss Matarazzo. He replaced Sergio
Francisco just before Christmas following Sociedad's poorest start to a La Liga
in a decade.
He led his new charges to a creditable 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in his
opener and was fortunate that slack goalkeeping at the late corner contributed
to his side's winner in Getafe.
The result lifted Sociedad into the top half of La Liga, equal on points with
Getafe but ahead of it on goal difference.
It was the fifth loss in six games for the Madrid club, which halted a
four-game losing streak with a last-minute equalizer last week at Rayo
Vallecano.
Venezuelan Aramburu dedicated his goal to his compatriots and stressed
Matarazzo's message was that they need points any which way.
"The boss told us this wouldn't be the prettiest of games but that we just had
to go out and win," Aramburu said.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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