El Cacique did not have a good match and drew 1-1 in Asunción, against the last place in the Paraguayan championship. Since 1967, the white team has not won on Guarani territory in the Copa Libertadores. Next week the return match will take place, with Jorge Almirón’s team in charge.
Although Colo Colo have secured their international presence for 2024, the aim is to place in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, with a lowly Paraguayan side meeting their final hurdle. The Cacique had a bitter taste during his visit to Asunción, because alone tied 1-1 with Sportivo Trinidense , which, in phase 2, left El Nacional de Ecuador on the road. The apparent favoritism of the Chileans did not manifest itself.
During the week of the Superclásico, which remains the most publicized match in national football despite the devalued and unequal nature of the event, Jorge Almirón’s team had to emerge victorious from its journey in Asunción. For this reason, he had the star team, the one he reserves for the Cup, with one exception: Arthur Vidal .
Despite the physical discomfort he caused, King also traveled to Paraguay with the delegation. The DT decided to leave him out of the call. Not even the bank. On the 23rd, he watched the match from the stands. Vicente Pizarro replaced him, which did not alter too much the structure that resulted against Godoy Cruz: the 4-3-3, with Carlos Palacios as false 9.
A priori, there were no equivalences between one casting and the other. Colo Colo’s mission was therefore to begin to consolidate its access to the decisive round, the one long awaited on a sporting but also financial level. (that’s $3 million just to make it to the group stage). Trinidense are also last in the Paraguayan championship with seven defeats in eight matches.
But the Copa Libertadores is special. This is another thing.
During the first part of the game, Colo Colo was patient in moving the ball, facing a closed opponent, who was basically trying to get out by counterattacking. Control of the ball crossed the white surface, trapping “Triki” in his territory. The locals, however, did not seem bothered by such a procedure, because it was part of their strategy and because they were aware that the weight of the meeting had to be carried by the Cacique.
If it is true that the Chileans led the match, it is no less true that they did not generate any real danger in the rival area. A high shot from Vicente Pizarro (30th) and another shot from Erick Wiemberg controlled by goalkeeper Samudio (35th) were the closest. He lacked an offensive reference, which would serve as a beacon for attacks. Lifting the ball without a nominal 9 was boring. A modest, discreet and stingy team like Sportivo Trinidense spoiled the match against Colo Colo, even more so with the opening of the account.
In the 36th minute, the home team made it 1-0 thanks to a volley from Juan Salcedo, which left Brayan Cortés static. Everything was born from one side. The whites could not decipher the crosswords posed by the Paraguayans, who closed the spaces. That energized a Colocolino team that needed a boost. 85% possession in the first half is a reference figure, but useless.
An uncomfortable duel
Almirón moved the board and the sacrifice was Vicente Pizarro, for the entry of Guillermo Paiva. An uncomfortable and difficult match faced Colo Colo in the complement. He didn’t even take advantage of the set ball. The most concrete option was a free kick from Palacios in the 42nd minute, which was cleared by the home goalkeeper.
The scare came in the 52nd minute, when a shot off the post from Fernando Romero nearly brought Trinidense to 2-0, which would have been almost a coup de grace for the match. The pace of the match was not comparable to that of the Cacique against Godoy Cruz, because in this case the Paraguayans, unaccustomed to finding themselves in such situations, did not take risks.
At the time of the match, a personal action from Paiva ended up being the stimulus that Colo Colo asked for, as it ended in a draw from Cristián Zavala. The former Curicó Unidos player took advantage of a rebound off a post to make the score 1-1 and leave the match with a less bitter feeling. The old Olimpia caught fire, generating more movements in the local area. This served to replace the absence of a boring Carlos Palacios, who did not provide solutions to the white offensive.
Strictly speaking, the result is not bad for the popular team. However, There is a disappointment of not being able to demonstrate the best of his repertoire, this was seen in his previous matches, against a very limited and clearly inferior opponent. Since 1967, Colo Colo has not won in Paraguay in the Copa Libertadores (it was a 1-0 against Cerro Porteño).
Next week’s rematch, at Macul, will clearly depend on what Almirón and company do, because they have the obligation not to fail at home and because the history of the two teams tips the scales. Of course, there is first a major challenge: the University of Chile.
Match sheet
Sp. Trinidense 1 : V. Samudio; C. Benítez, G. Flores, D. Villalba, W. Alonso; J. Román (70′, B. Andrada), L. De la Cruz (76′, J. Bonetto), M. Riveros (85′, A. Pereira), J. Salcedo, P. Delvalle (77′, T Cross out); and F. Romero (70′, O. Giménez). DT: J. Arrúa.
Colo Colo 1 : B. Cortés; O. Opazo, A. Saldivia, M. Falcon (87′, E. Amor), E. Wiemberg; V. Pizarro (46′, G. Paiva), E. Pavez, L. Gil; C. Zavala (80′, M. Moya), C. Palacios and M. Bolados. DT: J. Almirón.
Goals : 1-0, 36′, Salcedo, volley after a lateral; 1-1, 60′, Zavala, takes advantage of a rebound off a post.
Arbitrator : A. Herrera (VEN). He reprimanded De la Cruz, Villalba (ST); Palacios, Falcon, Opazo, Amor (CC).
Tigo La Huerta Stadium, Asuncion. Around 3,000 people participated.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
