There is one month left for Colombia and the BetPlay Tournament to remember one of the most embarrassing chapters in Colombian professional soccer in recent years. Well, in 2021, something unusual happened looking for promotions to the highest category with Unión Magdalena, Llaneros and Fortaleza as the main actors. And it is that, it was an event that not only stayed in the coffee country, but also transcended the great media of different countries.
Without a doubt, the reposts in other nations and leagues around the world drew attention. The international press gave a lot of hype and too much repercussion to the event experienced in Colombia. It was strange that an event in the Second Division could be in the focus of the great media of different Latin American and European nations, so much so that it hit Dimayor negatively and in the same presidency of the Republic in the hands of Iván Duque who asked Fernando Jaramillo thoroughly investigate the promotion of Unión Magdalena for alleged rigging.
Fortaleza was one of the best teams in the general table of all against all of the BetPlay Tournament. The ‘Rolo’ Flórez came fourth under the orders of Nelson, just three points from the top that Leones occupied with 29 units. Luck paired the swarthy with Unión Magdalena, Llaneros and Bogotá FC in the final home runs in search of promotion to the highest category.
Fortaleza’s path in the final home runs was positive adding three wins, one draw and two losses unfortunately that ended the dream of promotion giving Unión Magdalena and Cortuluá in the other group tickets to the BetPlay League. Curiously, Tulueños could not maintain the category and will play the BetPlay Tournament in 2023.
On the last day of zone B, Unión Magdalena faced Llaneros, while Fortaleza received Bogotá in a classic that could define many things. The swarthy came to this match with 11 units, while the samarium had nine points before playing it. That being the case, ‘Forta’ served him until he lost, as long as the cyclone did not win.
So it was, as Fortaleza lost against Bogotá and ended up losing by a score of 1-2, while Unión Magdalena at home also lost 0-1. However, in the blink of an eye, the unusual happened: Llaneros gave themselves away and Unión turned the game around. Diego Echeverri put the first for the visit and Ethan González and Jonathan Segura came back to 90 + 5 ‘and 90’6 respectively depriving the tanned from playing the grand final. Clearly, everything was very strange, because Villavicencio’s men took the middle, and immediately the llanera defense was very weak and had little reaction for Segura to put the second.
But fate wanted Fortaleza to take revenge 11 months later. The Bogotanos were in group A with Boyacá Chicó, Barranquilla and precisely, against Llaneros with the need to get rid of the thorn. ‘Forta’ accumulated eight points, and they really had little hope of joining the final, but he was enough to return the dose to Villavicencio’s men.
Fate also wanted everything to be defined on the last date, a day in which Boyacá Chicó or Llaneros sought to get into the final. The checkers needed the victory and that their rival in another square did not win against Fortaleza. If both squads looking for the ticket added up to three, Llaneros qualified for better position, but everything was defined thanks to the fact that the tawny completed their mission.
Boyacá Chicó beat Barranquilla 0-2 as a visitor, for which they needed the great help of Fortaleza to win the ticket to the final. If Llaneros won, the ticket to face Atlético Huila belonged to Villavicencio regardless of the Boyacenses’ score.
Simultaneously on the other field, Llaneros received Fortaleza. The Bogotanos played a great game defensively, and even in attack, converting a goal that was disallowed. In the end, everything was a draw, and although the tawny side had nothing at stake in the fight to qualify for the final, they deprived the Llaneros of entering that last step for promotion against Atlético Huila. Revenge became sweet eleven months later.
