A new final will have the history between Deportivo Cali and Deportes Tolima this season, after these two teams were the respective winners of their home runs, leaving out the all-against-all favorites such as Nacional and Millionaires.
But this final has already been lived in previous times, to talk about it we have to go back to 2003. The posh team was crowned champion for the first time in the history of Colombian football, after defeating the 4-2 penalty shootout. Deportivo Cali at the Pascual Guerrero stadium.
These were the numbers for both teams during the tournament campaign ending in 2003.
Sports Tolima
The posh team was led by the professor Luis Augusto Garcia, In the all against all the Ibagué team, classified sixth with 27 units, exactly seven points less than the leader, Deportivo Cali.
In the home runs, Deportes Tolima shared group B with: Atlético Nacional, Independiente Medellín and Junior de Barranquilla, being in the first place with a small difference compared to the shark. Both teams were left with the same points, same goal difference, the tiebreaker that gave the pijao team the ticket to the final was the goals scored as a visitor, taking into account that Tolima scored 4 while Junior scored 1.
Deportivo Cali
The sugar team was led by Professor Javier Álvarez, during the all against all they were the best team, qualifying first with 34 units, two more than the second, Atlético Nacional.
During the home runs, he continued to demonstrate the game that excited the sugar fans, managing to add 12 units, the product of three wins and three draws, leaving teams such as Millonarios, Unión Magdalena and Deportivo Pasto out of the final.
In addition, Leider Preciado was awarded for being the top scorer of the tournament with 17 annotations.
Final
The first game of the final was to be played at the Manuel Murillo Toro Stadium on December 17, 2003. On this occasion, Deportes Tolima beat Deportivo Cali 2 goals to 0 and was getting closer and closer to embroidering its first star.
On December 21, it was the decisive game, where Deportivo Cali reacted to the first leg and won 3-1 at Pascual Guerrero, extending the game to the penalty shootout.
Already in the penalty shootout, the Ibagué team was more forceful, leaving the series settled with a 4-2. In this way, Deportes Tolima was crowned champion of Colombian soccer for the first time.
Deportivo Cali
Leonardo Diaz; Jimmy Asprilla, José Mera, Julián Barragán, Gerardo Bedoya, Bréiner Benalcázar, Oscar Díaz, Mayer Cándelo, Elkin Murillo, Léider Preciado, Jorge Díaz
Technical Director: Javier Álvarez.
Sports Tolima
Diego Gómez; Freddy Hurtado, Justiniano Peña, Nelson Rivas, Jorge Artigas, Geovanni García, César Rivas, Hernando Patiño, Arley Dinas, Oscar Passo, Ricardo Ciciliano, John Charria, Henry Zambrano and Rogeiro Pereira.
Technical Director: Luis Augusto García.
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