Nacional and Tolima have already made the merits, they were already the two best in the championship, they have already left adversities and rivals in the way, they are already living the definitive moment, when two parties decide which of the two will be better than the other. The first duel is this Wednesday, at the Atanasio Girardot, that imposing square in which purslane will be wasted breath and passion (8 pm TV from Win Sports +), to see if they can placate the fury of that red-and-red team, which there usually grow up, as if they were playing deaf in that stadium.
But he is the Atanasio, and that has his respect. It is already known that this mass pushes, pushes and pushes the 90 minutes. And that is an incentive for the Antioquia squad, which, however, has an experienced team to play under this pressure, under this anxiety of its own people. Nacional will come out to impose its rhythm, its locality, its impetus, with its cracks, which it has, only that it needs them inspired, on its best night, with Dorlan leading, with Mantilla threatening, with Jarlan concentrated so that his lucidity manifests itself, and with the fullness of the other warriors in green.
Athanasius prepares
On Tuesday Nacional did its last practice, it trained what it will do today on the field, and the fans trained what they will do in the stands. A mad mass was accompanying the players, giving them the training breath, before the real breath.
(You may be interested in: Hernán Herrera: ‘If Nacional paid me to play nice, I play nice’)
Álex Mejía already said it: “The Nacional fans must transmit to us everything they have given us this semester, that good energy they have given us game by game”. Already in the game, the strategy is defined, DT Hernán Darío Herrera has only made adjustments, so that the plan is perfect. With Giovanni Moreno enabled, despite being sanctioned, things that happen in this League, but that’s another matter, in Nacional they receive permission with euphoria, they will have the crack of cracks available.
Dorlan Pabón seems ready after some discomfort suffered in the last match against Junior. The most important thing for the Greens is that there is a lot of motivation and confidence in what the team knows how to do. “It’s 180 minutes from the end; we know what Atlético Nacional means. There will be times when we have to manage the game and be very effective,” said player Danovis Banguero.
Tolima, National’s headache
Nobody in Nacional, however, wants to trust. The fact is that the rival on duty is very dangerous, that Tolima who no longer believes in anyone, that Tolima who already feels great, and that’s how he plays at Atanasio, as if he were armored against pressure. He is a Tolima who does not show fear, who does not show fragility. Hernán Torres’ team, which has won three consecutive finals and one title among them, knows by heart how to face these two-way series.
“Happy to reach the final, to be able to play it and more against a rival as big as Nacional, we hope to do the same, look for a great result in Medellín”, said Michael Rangel, attacker of the red wine.
(Also read: Hernán Torres: ‘This is a new game, a new story’)
Tolima goes to Medellín with all his weapons. He is ready for the challenge. The team, which this semester was armed to fight for everything, continues to fight for everything: League, Copa Colombia and Copa Libertadores. That Tolima does not give in, does not slow down. In addition, it is a team that grows when it goes to that place, there it recently beat Medellín, there it won a title against Nacional, in 2018. “Each team has its way of playing and it will be a nice match, we hope to fulfill with expectations and have a very good final in the first leg”, said Rodrigo Ureña.
So the time has come. Let the Atanasio vibrate, which is already coming out Nacional; let the Atanasio rumble, that Tolima plays deaf.
PAUL ROMERO
Editor of THE TIME
@PabloRomeroET
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