Aguirre praises gritty Peñarol win, awaits word on Leonel Jaime injury

Winning ugly still counts, and Peñarol knows that well after edging Boston River 2-1 in the Torneo Clausura 2026. The winner came in stoppage time off the boot of Abel Hernández, and Diego Aguirre didn't hesitate to give extra credit to the kind of victories that get sealed in the dying minutes.

Speaking at a press conference after Saturday's match against Sastre, the black and gold manager was blunt about where things stand in the tournament: "it was very important because this is a decisive week." As for how the win came together, he added that closing it out in such dramatic fashion "always has something special to it."

Was it all smooth sailing on the field, though? Not even close. Aguirre admitted as much when asked how he saw his team play: "up and down, with a few good moments." He was candid in acknowledging that the opponent had the edge for stretches: "Boston River, at times, played better than us and had chances. It was an even match where we found the winning goal, but in games like this you're just as close to winning as you are to losing."

Asked whether that inconsistency worries him, the coach downplayed the drama and put it in the context of the whole season. "It's always been like this" throughout the Uruguayan Championship, he explained, adding: "We've clearly struggled to win games, so we have to be ready for this kind of match, get through them, and stay on top of the Tabla Anual, which is a goal we have."

The medical report that raises concern

Beyond the result, the press conference brought several updates on the squad's physical condition. The one that drew the most attention was about Leonel Jaime, subbed off in the 89th minute. According to Aguirre, the Argentine "took a knock on the last play and we'll have to wait until tomorrow, it's a knock," so there's still no clarity on how serious it is.

Germán Pezzella also came off with a knock, though that substitution had already been planned: Aguirre pointed out that Nahuel Herrera was set to get minutes in that match regardless. On Eduardo Darias, the coach sounded optimistic ahead of the next fixture, saying it's "likely" he'll be available Wednesday against Montevideo City Torque.

Another name that drew questions was Mauricio Lemos, who wasn't in the squad. Aguirre cleared up any doubts: "he's fine." "Since we have a lot of center backs, we rotate. He had a little soreness in his ankle, and we used the rotation among the defenders to let him recover properly," he explained.

On Herrera, who's returning after a long spell out, the coach was full of praise: "he's getting his game back and is getting closer and closer to being able to play more minutes." And he didn't hold back on his upside either: "He's a spectacular center back who's going to end up in Europe."

Umpiérrez, in top form

Another highlight of the conversation was the form of Leandro Umpiérrez, who has been playing just behind the forward alongside Leonel Jaime. Aguirre backed him firmly: "He's a heck of a player, he's gotten back to his best level. He went through a stretch with a bit of a physical issue that held him back, but he's very good."

He's a heck of a player, he's gotten back to his best level. He went through a stretch with a bit of a physical issue that held him back, but he's very good.Diego Aguirre

With the Tabla Anual as the stated goal and several names in doubt for Wednesday, Peñarol has little time to recover before hosting Montevideo City Torque.