Everyone considers it an even final, even though América de Cali hit first with a 3-0 that made him dream of his 15th star in Colombian football. But what tipped the balance in favor of the Scarlet team?
It is fair to recognize that Juan Cruz Real’s tactical approach was superior and filled his ‘cardinal’ counterpart Harold Rivera with confusion. He gave it a review and prevented Santa Fe from gathering his talented and advanced men, who also did not take advantage of two false starts by goalkeeper Joel Graterol.
For the Argentine coach it is vital to start the games with an advantage and that is why he went over his rival, with several arrivals of which only Yesus Vergara’s shot came to fruition in the 23rd minute of the first half.
However, he continued with that momentum and despite the fact that Santa Fe had a few minutes of reaction in the second period, it did not allow him to pierce the Graterol fence.
One of the aspects in which he has come out ahead so far is to change the role of Yesus Cabrera, who is now more behind, next to Luis Alejandro Paz. The man from Cartagena looks with greater sacrifice, but it also gives him freedom when the ‘devils’ have the ball and in this way he managed to open the scoreboard, with a nice left-footed shot that Leandro Castellanos could not control at ground level.
The changes also favored the homeowner, because the visitor did not gain any revenue to include men of creation and attack such as Luis Manuel Seijas, Diego Valdés, Mauricio Gómez and Patricio Cucchi, because their two blocks controlled them well.
On the other hand, Daniel Quiñones, Rodrigo Ureña, Rafael Carrascal, Jhon Arias and Aldaír Rodríguez managed to maintain that dominance that the local cast exercised during much of the game through possession at times, gain rebounds near the area of Leandro Castellanos and the direct play when he sought the backlash.
This America is on the rise and its coach has a lot to do with it, he had confidence in his football idea, he chose players in whom he blindly believes and with faith in God is very close to reaching a new title for the scarlet team.
Experienced ones such as Juan Pablo Segovia, Carlos Sierra and Rafael Carrascal, who were part of the 2019 title, were left out of the eleventh starter, while a handful of youngsters began to write their own story alongside other experienced players.
It was an impeccable match in tactical approach, beyond Joel Graterol’s individual errors that ultimately did not translate into a goal.
Despite the broad and unobjectionable triumph, in football nothing is written, so Cruz Real asks its players to continue with their feet on the ground to go humbly to Bogotá next Sunday, because there are 90 minutes left for glory and so far they have not won anything.
Marco Antonio Garcés
Correspondent Futbolred Cali
And twitter: @marquitosgarces
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