Pep Guardiola, for many the best coach today like yesterday, and who once said that he was peeing cologne, asked for time to finish the game against Aston Villa like any DT of the Magdalena Union rushing the last second of Ascent. His Manchester City, the club that spends the most money on players, the one with the most valued squad in the world (959.3 million euros, more than 4 billion pesos!), he celebrated with his crazy fans a new Premier League title, which he beat Liverpool in a final date of photofinish, comeback and anguish.
In the City documentary on Netflix, the president affirms that the first and highest goal for them always is and will be to win the Premier. Then, “get as far as possible in the Champions League”.
Because always, but always, the national league will be the first goal, the most valuable and incomparable natural goal, above the diamond and platinum Champions League or the gold and silver Copa Libertadores. In those tournaments you win money and prestige, but not the rival on the block, the usual one. For this reason, the Libertadores finals between River and Boca, and the Champions League finals between Real and Madrid’s ‘Aléti’ were extraordinary, Olimpo. The closest thing here was when Nacional took out Millonarios, in 1989, and then he was champion in Bogotá. He screwed it up.
I remember a phrase by Fernán Martínez, a local guru of artists’ agents: “To fill concerts in New York or London, you have to first fill in Armenia or Bogotá”. It’s the same logic. They are shows.
The home runs kicked off
Here began the semi-final home runs, in search of the League champion, all honor and all glory, because, as in the commercial, the other half of glory, the international one, is a distant trick. Three titles in 61 years of Libertadores prove it. Once Caldas, who won it in 2004, with everything and that is not great because greatness begins at home.
And in ours, they started the home runs with more logic than football. The players stopped again for a few seconds at the beginning of the matches as a protest against the managerial neglect to negotiate their requests with their association (Acolfutpro), but the football stoppage was worse.
In the ‘group of death’, A, Junior and Nacional tied 1-1. They lifted the closed-door sanction against Junior: 861.8 million paid by 32,741 fans. Silver is silver. What was the “indignation” of directors, fans and the press for the battle of criminal gangs in Magdalena and Junior that left one dead? Football and its messages…
On the court, a game of blunt tip for the forms. Junior is the image and likeness of Albornoz and Hinestroza: an impressive team of power and speed. It was also a blunt tip because Borja was once Junior’s and three times that of the National Team that he helped eliminate. With his lack of aim and precision, he spared the life of a lousy Nacional in the first half and barely regular in the second.
I got the feeling that Nacional freezes in the cold of Gio, Dorlan, Jarlan, Andrade and Mantilla. A lot of ‘crac-cique’, little claw.
Millonarios beat Bucaramanga 1-0 passing oil and thanks to a very debatable penalty. There was contact, but Ruiz looks for the foul. A refereeing expert I consulted chats with me: “Bucaramanga player does not play the ball. Millionaires Player wins the position. There is recklessness.” The second act was more emotional: the visitor had for the tie and the local, to settle on the end. Balance, just regular.
In group B, we were woken up by Tolima’s 0-1 in the first half of a lousy duel. Envigado with the goal against was already a tamale for breakfast: they devoured it 1-4.
An oasis, the great goals of Vladimir Hernández: they saved Saturday! Medellin won 2-0 very simply against a very bad Equity, unknown, who never kicked on goal. Tolima and Medellín won in second.
The definition of our daily League is just beginning. That is the title you have to win. Madrid, Bayern, City, PSG, everyone knows that greatness begins at home.
GABRIEL MELUK
Sports Editor
@MelukLeCuenta
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