Having fallen 3-0 in Ibagué against Tolima became a difficult mission to pair for Deportivo Cali in the South American Cup. Not only the voluminous marker but the quality of the rival, foreshadowed that the series was almost defined and perhaps for that reason the technician Alfredo Arias, although he played in his stage, decided the use of an alternating formation, in which some seedlings appeared that have few minutes in the professionalism.
It is true that possession was held by the green-set, but it was too flat and did not find the formula to unbalance the line of three in defense and the spinal block mounted by Hernán Torres. Juan Camilo Angulo made a run for the goal 23 minutes into the game but the home team’s far left defense managed to sort the situation out in the end.
Arias tried to change the face of the goalkeeper with the entry of Jhon Vásquez and Gastón Rodríguez, but failed in a saga that guarded very well his goalkeeper Alvaro Montero. But Tolima also approached dangerously.
The appearances on the sides were insufficient, because Tolima never suffered the game and was accommodating with the passage of the minutes, even leading to two dangerous shots with Jáminton Campaz, his stellar midfielder who moves like a fish to water in the Torres scheme.
From one moment to the next the ease shown by Cali at the beginning of the season to generate play was sinking and the lamentations since the departure of Agustín Palavecino have not stopped. The five goals in the league match against Equity improved the scoring average, but against Tolima again showed that his attack is too predictable and had no options to at least score a goal and feed the excitement that one could go further.
Eliminated in the first phase of the continental competition, which was one of the goals of the year, now he only has to get the quota in the quarterfinals of the BetPlay League I-2021 and win the title. To do so he will have to beat Nacional this Saturday (8.00 am) in Palmaseca and accumulate 31 units and depending on the duels between direct rivals suddenly add one last point in his visit to Millionaires in El Campín.
Alfredo Arias remains convinced of the potential of his players and hopes that these days will be effective to recover the lost.
Marc Antoni Garcés
Futbolred Cali correspondent
On twitter: @marquitosgarces