Deportivo Independiente Medellín drew 1-1 with Once Caldas, in the first leg for the third phase of the Copa Colombia 2021. The powerful one went ahead on the scoreboard through Juan Pablo Gallego, but Harrison Otálvaro tied the game with a great goal from free kick.
The local came out to play from the beginning pressing hard on the rival goal. At minute 2, Juan Pablo Gallego opened the scoring with a powerful right-footed shot to the left corner of goalkeeper Gerardo Ortiz. The young Independiente Medellín midfielder scored his first goal as a professional in Colombian soccer.
After the goal, Once Caldas was approaching the rival area and at minute 13, Harrison Otálvaro with a free kick equalized for the Manizales team, the midfielder spliced the ball with his right leg, far from the reach of goalkeeper Luis Erney Vásquez.
At minute 21, Once Caldas had the second through Juan David Pérez, who took advantage of a deep pass on the left side of the field, but the former Águilas and Millonarios failed to define at the exit of goalkeeper Vasquez.
On minute 30, Medellín recovered the ball and the intentions of approaching the opposite field. Once Caldas waited and went on a counterattack, harassing the defense at the premises.
At minute 35, Once Caldas made the first change, Harrison Otálvaro retired due to injury, Bryan Angulo entered. The white ’10’ presented a muscular discomfort.
The last minutes lacked the intensity of the game, although Luis Erney Vásquez in injury time, with a blooper, almost got the ball into his goal after a play that had no danger.
In the complementary stage, Argentine Agustín Vuletich entered Independiente Medellín, instead of Leonardo Castro, who did not have an outstanding game.
Averaging 15 minutes, Medellín had greater control of the ball and approached the opposite goal with games on the wing and still ball. Although they could not get the final stitch of the plays. At minute 16, Vladimir Hernández entered instead of Juan Pablo Gallego.
On the side of Once Caldas, Eduardo Lara decided to move the bench and enter two forwards at minute 25, looking for a greater offensive weight. The visitor included Ménder García and Adrián Estacio, instead of the Argentine Nicolás Messintini and Juan David Pérez. Medellín immediately responded with another variant, Sebastián Hernández entered instead of Javier Reina.
At minute 33, an oversight by David Loaiza near the area, the ball was left to Ménder García, who finished from medium distance, passing near the right vertical.
As the minutes passed, Medellín tried to accelerate, but could not specify the goal options, at minute 36 and 39, Vuletich had the second goal close. Once Caldas responded at minute 42, with a heads-up from Adrián Estacio, but Vásquez managed to deflect the ball.
At the end of the game, both coaches did not agree with the three minutes added by center-back Luis Matorel. Eduardo Lara took advantage of the fact that they were attending to Brayan Angulo on the field of play, to make three more changes.
In the end, both teams did not go beyond the tie and everything was left to be defined in Manizales, next Wednesday, August 4.
Juan Camilo Alvarez Serrano
FUTBOLRED correspondent
Medellin
En twitter: @juanchoserran8
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