Medellín beat América 2-1 in the first leg of the first phase of the 2022 South American Cup, although it lost the opportunity to have reached Pascual Guerrero with a greater advantage by wasting a maximum penalty.
The match began with back-and-forth actions, América generated the first arrival in the 4th minute, when the Spanish Iago Falqué took a left-footed shot from the right sector, which Andrés Mosquera Marmolejo controlled.
Four minutes later, Jean Pineda’s header almost opened the scoring, but the ball went slightly wide.
At 11 minutes, Larry Angulo, from outside the area, demanded Mosquera Marmolejo again. Medellín responded with Luciano Pons, but Graterol was attentive to the Argentine’s shot.
In the 28th minute, Adrián Arregui tried it from mid-range, but the ball went slightly wide of the American goal. From that play, Medellín generated three more approaches and the spirits lowered with the momentum of the stands.
So much was the insistence of the local, that in discount time, Vladimir Hernández with an accurate shot, overcame the resistance of goalkeeper Joel Graterol, opening the scoring for DIM.
América found the tie very quickly at the beginning of the second half, came out more concentrated and in minute 2, Adrián Ramos tied the score, after taking advantage of a pass from the right by Joider Micolta, who had entered instead of Eber Moreno.
In the 11th minute, after a free kick, the second goal came for Medellín, through Andrés Cadavid, who with a shot below the American barrier, left goalkeeper Graterol without options.
In the 20th minute, Adrián Arregui and Vladimir Hernández had the third, but between the rival defense and poor aim, they were unable to score the goal.
Brazilian referee Flavio de Souza sanctioned a penalty in the 31st minute, after a foul by Juan Camilo Portilla on Vladimir Hernández. Graterol stopped charging Argentine Luciano Pons.
The return match between Independiente Medellín and América de Cali will be played next Wednesday, March 16, at the Pascual Guerrero stadium in Cali.
Juan Camilo Alvarez Serrano
FUTBOLRED Correspondent
Medellin
On Twitter: @juanchoserran8
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