Once again, Uruguayan Agustín Rodríguez was a key player for Santa Fe, which is slowly forgetting the defeat in the League final in the first half and is heading for a rematch in the second. This Saturday, León won as a visitor, 0-1 against Envigado, and in two dates they have a perfect campaign.
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The script was similar to that of the match against Pasto on Wednesday: a quiet first half, a lead at half-time and some anguish at the end, to add three points and sleep this Saturday at the top of the table.
Santa Fe managed to recover captain Daniel Torres for this match and coach Pablo Peirano decided to bet on the experience of Dairon Mosquera on the left wing instead of the young Santiago Cuero. This was to counteract the impetus of the young attack of the locals, who were not satisfied with their enthusiasm.
Envigado wanted to surprise from the start and, optically, seemed to have control of the game, but it was Santa Fe that created the best chances in the first half. Goalkeeper Andrés Felipe Tovar had to intervene twice to prevent Agustín Rodríguez, who started the semester on fire, from scoring. There were two headers in a row, in the first quarter of an hour.
Then, at 33, Jhojan Torres was the one who had the opportunity to score, but, with the goal in front of him, he sent the ball wide.
The reward for the visitors’ initiative came at 45+1, when, on a corner kick, Rodríguez appeared at the far post to put his leg in and finish off a great save from Elvis Perlaza. The Uruguayan now has seven goals in the Santa Fe shirt.
The penalty requested by Santa Fe: this is how the referee decided
The second half had barely begun when Santa Fe claimed a penalty for a foul on Agustín Rodríguez. The referee, Liz Mair Suárez, blew the ball wide. The VAR, in charge of Fernando Acuña, gave the right to the centre-back.
The changes revived Envigado’s enthusiasm, which came close to equalising when Julián Palacios shot hit the post. And there, Santa Fe began to take shelter in its field and remove spaces to avoid scares.
The end of the match was complicated for Santa Fe, because the locals went after it. The experienced Byron Garcés, in one of the few times that León gave away its back, burned Mosquera Marmolejo’s hands. Envigado complained about a handball in the visiting area that did not exist.
Santa Fe is beginning to build a cushion of points while the new pieces fit together. But the ones that performed well in the first half of the season are still supporting the campaign. Hugo Rodallega will surely be key when he returns, but the team has been able to function without him.
Jose Orlando Ascencio
Sports Deputy Editor
@josasc
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