The goalless draw between Deportivo Cali and Millonarios this Thursday left more blows than football. 22 fouls were penalized, 14 committed by the locals and 8 by the visitors.
Despite so many strong legs, the referee Diego Escalante did not know how to handle the actions: He forgave the expulsion of Kevin Salazar, a Cali player, for a tackle that took Luis Paredes out of the game. He barely showed four yellows and one red, to Teófilo Gutiérrez, after the VAR warned Jorge Arias of a stomp.
Good thing it’s over. Very difficult and bad night for Diego Escalante who from minute 2 ‘had already made his first mistake with the no red to Salazar. Strong game, kicks and blows everywhere. That was Cali 0-0 Millionaires.
— The Central VAR (Andrés) (@ElVarCentral) August 25, 2023
Alberto Gamero, the Millonarios coach, was visibly upset at the post-game press conference. And he ended up letting off steam when asked by a journalist from Tuluá, who told him that the Cali fans had left unhappy because Millos’s players threw themselves to the ground a lot.
“The Cali fan left upset, right? ANDI’m leaving sad, I’m leaving with two injured players. Go and look at Paredes’ ankle, swollen, that wasn’t just it. Go and look at the waist of (Juan Pablo) Vargas. It cannot be said that Millionaires came to throw themselves. We don’t like that football. But they hit us.” Gamer said.
“Sometimes you have to be brave, but there I have two injured. In the match against Bucaramanga too. They gave Vega a wheelie and there they are operating on him. You have to interpret what is said correctly: Here they are not going to justify Teo’s expulsion. They saw her. Didn’t he step on it? The fan is not going to be angry with me or with Millonarios”, he added.
Regarding the two players who were injured, Gamero declared: “The Paredes thing is a sprained ankle. Vargas has a blow to his back, he wouldn’t let him move, we’ll see how the players evolve for the next game”.
Alberto Gamero explained why the entire payroll changed
Gamero, who practically changed the entire team for the game against Cali, talked about those modifications.
“Rotate, the word rotate, I don’t use it. Today I did not rotate, it was a different team. Cali didn’t play over the weekend, we did and we played the Cup. I saw the group down. Suddenly we could come and play here. This is where our worries come from. I don’t know if Vargas and Paredes can be there on Sunday. We are avoiding injuries, because although it is true, the group in quotes could come but it is one more effort that was being made. It’s the same as Nacional, they have two games postponed. We have been playing, playing, playing, ”he explained.
“It’s time for the guys who were here today to understand that they are in Millionaires, and understand that they can play at any time like they did today. It was a tangled game, but there were players with a lot of personality, the case of Arévalo, Kliver, Vanegas”, added the DT, highlighting the dedication of this alternate group.
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