Deportivo Cali and Millonarios disappointed this Thursday with a 0-0 in which they hit more than they played, and in which from the first actions of the meeting they forgot about the show.
Added to this scenario was referee Diego Escalante’s lack of authority, who forgave an inbound expulsion and that gave the players an open letter to make an ugly and cut game.
After two minutes, Escalante lost his first challenge: Kevin Salazar hit Luis Paredes very badly, to the point that the Millonarios attacker had to leave the game. The VAR called him to review the play and despite seeing it again, he did not get the red card.
This action caused the game to be completely damaged, with strong entries from side to side in the face of impunity from the judge. Cali hit more, but also attacked more and made goalkeeper Álvaro Montero a figure in the first half, who saved at least four very clear goal balls.
Millonarios, who had appealed to a substitute roster, in which the only initialists who remained among the 11 were Montero, Juan Pablo Vargas and Daniel Ruiz, lost the Costa Rican due to an elbow to the chest that Teófilo Gutiérrez gave him for the second stage .
There was going to be some expulsion. And Teo gave papaya: he stepped on Jorge Arias, who was on the ground, without the ball. Escalante did not realize it: the VAR saved him by warning him and Cali played 25 minutes with one less.
Millionaires was encouraged by the numerical advantage. He had attacked very little and at the end of the game he had a couple of options, with a ball that was saved by Johan Wallens and a header from Óscar Vanegas that hit the crossbar.
Cali does not give up: although he has two fewer games, he is 18 out of 20. And Millonarios, although he entered eight with the tie, worries about the lack of goals: he has three in seven games. This Thursday they forgot about football. That’s how it was.
Jose Orlando Ascencio
sports deputy editor
@josasc
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