At home, at the National Stadium, in front of 12,000 spectators, the Arabs almost won the first leg of the round of 16. In less than five minutes, they had managed to come back against Independiente Medellín, but in the epilogue, a gross error between Suárez and Rigamonti generated the 2-2 for the Colombians.
Chilean teams that survive in the South American Cup They had complex results in the first matches of the round of 16. If Huachipato lost to Racing de Avellaneda this Tuesday, in Viña del Mar, Palestinian had to settle for an unfortunate draw. Being local at the National Stadium (finally the colonial team was able to play in Santiago on the international stage), The Arabs beat Independiente Medellín until added time, but a defensive horror occurred that left the score at 2-2.
Both players reached this stage in different ways. DIM entered directly by winning its group, while the national team entered after winning the key playoff against Cuiabá of Brazil. Chileans and Colombians have already faced each other in a knockout stage in the cup. This happened in the second qualifying round of the Libertadores 2019. Both games were tied and Palestino was awarded penalties.
Even if the context offered an option to Lucas Bovaglio’s team, the duel was more complex against a rival who presented a new coach: Alejandro Restrepo (former coach of Pereira, who faced Colo Colo in the Libertadores last year).
The Arabs had a promising start, looking to attack mainly from the left with Jonathan Benitez’s raids. Despite controlling the ball, these positive feelings faded as the minutes went by. They lost control of the game and failed to get dangerously close to the visiting goal. Little by little, the DIM is establishing itself in the field and is beginning to manage times. Their first chance came in the 18th minute, with a shot from Ortiz that was brilliantly cleared by goalkeeper Rigamonti, who was left with visible physical discomfort after the effort.
The bucket of cold water for the Chileans came in the 41st minute, as Independiente Medellín opened the scoring thanks to a header from Joaquín Varela, who connected a precise cross from Chaverra. Palestino did not have a good game and, to make matters worse, he entered the half in a disadvantageous situation. The situation was complicated for a French team that registered 59% possession and did not manage any shots on goal in the first half. A repulsion was needed, whether from a tactical or behavioral point of view.
Burst and return, but…
It took Palestino less than five minutes to reverse the numbers. Another attitude was seen at the beginning of the complement, coming out with renewed force wanting to overwhelm the Colombians. The good news is that they knew how to take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves, a key factor in international competitions.
In the 48th minute, Iván Román made it 1-1, beating goalkeeper Eder Chaux after a header from Linares. The ball stopped spinning. Slow reaction from the DIM goalkeeper. Two minutes passed and the Arabs found the advantage thanks to the Argentinian Linares, one of the most outstanding values of the day. Winger Benjamin Rojas projected himself impeccably and the action continued with the Baisanos’ number 5, who broke through the middle and fired a powerful shot for 2-1.
With the result uncertain, the match was open. Since the DIM there has been less speculation and more research, which also means that it has left more spaces in the back of the net. On the hour mark, a quick counterattack almost ended the national team’s third match, but Bryan Carrasco missed the goal inside the area. It was a matter of Bovaglio’s team leaving the ball to the visitors and locking themselves in their field, to bet on a direct exit.
A burst of energy at the start of the second half was enough for Palestino to win the match and take a step towards the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana. However, a brutal defensive failure between Cristián Suárez and goalkeeper Rigamonti (apparent lack of communication) allowed Varela to appear and score the equalizer. An incredible ending.
Next Wednesday, the 21st, the return will take place, in Colombia. The winner of this key will meet the winner of the Quito League (led by “Vitamina” Sánchez, his former coach) and Lanús.
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.
