The BetPlay 2022-II League entered its final stretch, regarding the all-against-all phase. only one team is practically assured in the finals. With 31 units, Pasto has his ticket ready, barring a catastrophe. From now on, there is a traffic jam of teams, in the style of a ‘bottleneck’ to enter the finals.
All the clubs in question had their chance to qualify on this day. However, the vast majority continued to put this off, with Jaguares, Patriotas and Envigado as the executioners. Here we review the good, the bad and the ugly that date 18 of the BetPlay League 2022-II left.
The good
Pasto kept the level and is at the top: the 31 units of the Nariñense team leave it practically classified. The threshold could vary or decrease, but everything indicates that it will remain at the score that the current leader of the League has.
The emotion will be guaranteed until date 20: even with pending matches, everything will be aimed for the outcome on the last day. From Millionaires, with 29 units, to Equity, with 24 (with mathematical option) they have chances.
In addition, there will be direct confrontations, between teams that fight for the entrance and others, who want to secure home runs soon. The results that occurred during the date tightened, even more, the exciting definition of all against all.
Unión Magdalena returned to victory: the samarios cut the streak of five games without adding three points. In addition, not only did they stay one more day, within the eight, but they ratified their permanence in the first division.
Once Caldas approached the classification: everything is in their hands to access a final phase, which they have not done since the end of 2018. The draw against Cali left them with 29 units and one victory away from reaching the goal.
The bad
Millionaires still without victory and classification: there are four dates where Alberto Gamero’s men have barely added two units. The advantage they had for date 13, of that victory against Junior, was cut, becoming evident with the development of the championship.
In favor of the blues, they still have four games left, where a victory will leave them in the home runs, taking into account the goal difference.
Junior and his reduced options: Julio Comesaña’s return was exciting, in the first dates the priority was to win, beyond the construction of the game idea. The two recent days, with a draw at home against Unión and the loss against Envigado, leave them in a bad position.
25 units and in box 11, with two games remaining, it will be an obligation to win both and wait for some results in the coming days, to access the home runs. If there is one thing for sure, it is that entry will not be easy for the people of Barranquilla.
the ugly
Patriotas and Cortuluá ratified their bad campaigns with relegation: Justice in football is scarce, but when seen, it shines with its presence. The 2022 of the Valle del Caucanos was not the best, the defeat against Tolima and the triumph of Unión sealed the first ticket back to second.
Patriots depended on winning, but with what happened before, fate seemed sealed. To succeed against Millionaires, they continued with illusions. However, the tactical approach of the boyacenses in Bogotá was limited to counteracting the blues (blocking them from the defensive aspect): playing not to lose, as if they knew, in advance, that their journey in the first division, for 10 years, came to its end.
Discussed actions of the VAR: The match between Millonarios and Patriotas was marred by two specific actions, both inside the area. Charge on Luis Carlos Ruiz, by Rodas, where the visiting defender hit the attacker’s back with his shoulder. The central sanctioned her, but incredibly, the VAR called for a review. The other, Barrios grabbed Alba, between doubts, the central whistled.
Again the technology called. In addition to this, a kick to Ruiz in the area was requested by the ambassadors as a penalty. Not only did the television image evidence this, but the photos of colleagues in the stadium evidenced the latter. In this event, the center-back was not even warned by his colleagues in the VAR. It was not only the fans, but also the press, in general, who criticized the performance of central defender Diego Ruiz (a relative of Óscar Julián Ruiz), together with the VAR referee, Mauricio Pérez de Antioquia.
Alberto Gamero himself discussed it at a press conference, where he stated that he saw the referee’s assistants, looking doubtful about the decisions made, after the VAR review.
