Millionaires put the fans’ hearts to the test, until they burst with joy. He collected a historical debt and hung the 16th star on his shield, suffering against a closed defense from Nacional, which led him to penalties.
Millionaires entered the field in a party atmosphere and it seems that it cost him. Nacional played, without any penalty, to defend themselves, and that is more than valid in football, and more so when the teams that have gotten behind in El Campín tend to complicate the blues. He put together two lines of four and, in the second, Tomás Ángel ended up playing full-back and helping to score.
Alberto Gamero, Millos’ coach, relocated the two players who were in the Colombian National Team, Óscar Cortés and Álvaro Montero, to the headline, and they both felt the effort. The first made him enthusiastic, but he had a dribble left over or delivered it badly.
Montero, for his part, ended up somewhat compromised in the only shot at Nacional’s goal, which ended in the green advantage goal, in the 31st minute. Danovis Banguero beat Elvis Perlaza, who had no support, and launched a center. The goalkeeper hesitated to come out and Jefferson Duque anticipated Jorge Arias to do what he knows best: goals in the finals. Montero also did not put his hands up with all the decision that was needed.
Gamero decided to rest Cortés and bring in Jader Valencia, who had a great performance in the first leg. Nacional, as the minutes went by, put another brick in the wall: he took out Ángel, put in Cristian Castro Devenish and put together a defense of five. And then, in the duel of the boards, the DT of Millos took a risk, brought out a brand midfielder, Daniel Giraldo, and his ‘9’, Leo Castro, and put Fernando Uribe to play for a wing and Luis Carlos Ruiz in point . And the field began to lean towards the south arc of El Campín.
The game was already similar to the first half in Medellín and the public began to wake up and push. Leo Castro had a goal disallowed for offside. Cristian Zapata had two own goal attempts. Kevin Mier flew spectacularly to save a double shot, a header from Andrés Llinás and a scissors from Jader Valencia.
The saving goal came from a man of the house: Llinás
Until, finally, Llinás took a rebound from a shot by Fernando Uribe and had time to stop and shoot. Millionaires returned to the game with a goal from a character who has passed through all the positions of the El Campín stadium: fan in the stands, mascot, ball boy, safe defender and now, emergency scorer, like eight days ago against Medellín.
Millionaires had it to win in the 1990s: Jorge Arias faced the goal on a rebound and finished off as a defender. And Nacional began to turn off the game, by hook or by crook, with a strange handling of changes: Paulo Autuori ordered one thing and the players on the field asked for another, and so they ate up many minutes. In the midst of that confusion, judge Carlos Betancur ended the game. The tiebreaker came from the penalty spot.
The tiebreaker from the penalty spot
Dorlan Pabón, Nacional’s most experienced player, hit the ball from below and threw it into the south stand. And then, Jader Valencia wanted to secure it and also sent it over.
In the second round, Danovis Banguero deceived Montero, who dived to his right and the Nacional winger sent it to the other post. And then Jorge Arias hit him hard. Kevin Mier touched the ball, but was unable to save it.
Montero vindicated himself and stopped Jefferson Duque’s third charge, diving to his left. But since he went ahead, the VAR ordered to repeat it. The green goalscorer hit the same post and this time the goalkeeper flew to the other side. And Juan Carlos Pereira, who entered at the end of the game to kick, put it in without trouble.
The most veteran of Nacional, Cristian Zapata, missed it: Montero went to his right and stopped the charge. But Mier also responded by covering Luis Carlos Ruiz’s shot, who chose the center and the goalkeeper saved with his left foot.
Jarlan Barrera also entered at the end. He called very poorly, soft and to the left of Montero. The title was at the feet of Larry Vasquez. And it didn’t fail. Millionaires collected a historical debt: he is the new champion.
Jose Orlando Ascencio
sports deputy editor
@josasc
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