Losing 3-0 in Ibagué against Tolima became a difficult mission for Deportivo Cali to digest in the Copa Suramericana. Not only the sizeable scoreboard, but also the quality of the rival, foreshadowed the fact that the series was close to being defined and perhaps therefore, despite playing in his stadium, Coach Alfredo Arias decided to use an alternate line-up. , showing some youth players who have few minutes in professionalism.
It is true that the green and white team had possession of the ball, but it was too flat and did not find the formula to unbalance the line of three in defense and the marrow head block that Hernán Torres picked up. Juan Camilo Angulo in an attack on the right and Gastón Rodríguez were encouraged to finish the goal, although they could not specify.
Arias tried to change the face of the side with the arrival of Jhon Vásquez and Gastón Rodríguez, but that failed for a defense that his goalkeeper Álvaro Montero guarded very well. But Tolima also approached in a daring way.
The side performances were inadequate as Tolima never took the game and settled down after the minutes had passed, which even led to two dangerous shots with Jáminton Campaz, his great midfielder who moves like a fish in the water in the Torres plan.
From one moment to the next, the ease that Cali showed at the start of the season to generate play was crumbling and the lamentations since Agustín Palavecino’s departure have not stopped. The five goals in the league game against Equidad improved the scoring average, but against Tolima, he showed again that his attack is too predictable and he had no variants to at least score a goal and feed the illusion that he could continue.
Eliminated from the first phase of the continental league, which was one of the goals of the year, he now only needs to finish in the quarter-finals of the BetPlay I-2021 League and take the title. For this, he will have to defeat next Saturday (8 p.m.) in Palmaseca Nacional and collect 31 units and depending on the duels between direct rivals, he will suddenly add one last point in his visit to Millonarios in El Campín.
Alfredo Arias remains convinced of his players’ potential and hopes that these days it will be effective to restore what was lost.
Marco Antonio Garcés
Correspondent Futbolred Cali
On twitter: @marquitosgarces