Santa Fe, when football could be played, was superior to Universitario and beat it well, 2-0, to depend on itself on the last date of the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana. The reds will have to beat Goiás to ensure, at least, the playoff against one of the third parties in the Libertadores.
Universitario wanted to take advantage from the start of a very eventful match, cut off, very poorly handled in disciplinary terms by the Chilean referee Felipe González, who was noted for his international inexperience: he had barely directed three South American games.
The first challenge that González had was solved well, with the help of the VAR: the Peruvians scored on a charge from the side and a shot by Nelson Cabanillas, after 4 minutes. However, the scorer handed it in.
Cabanillas himself was sent off eight minutes later: he went to fight for the ball with Wilfrido de la Rosa, raised his leg a lot and ended up hitting his rival in the face.
With 78 minutes to go, González ended up being permissive on both sides: first he forgave the expulsion of Marlon Torres, who went to fight for a ball with Alex Valera. He hit him and knocked him down, and when the Peruvian was about to get up, he put his hand behind him. They didn’t even get yellow.
The former player of América and Tolima Rodrigo Ureña also ended up playing for free, who kicked from behind at a time when the ball was not in dispute. Gonzalez let her go.
In the midst of all these controversies, there was some football and it was proposed by Santa Fe, who took the lead after 27 minutes, when De la Rosa played as a pivot and returned a ball to Hugo Rodallega on the edge of the area, so that the experienced attacker hit him from there and beat goalkeeper José Carvallo.
More controversy and another goal from Santa Fe
There were many more controversial plays. Like a goal from Santa Fe, achieved by Iván Rojas, which the judge annulled with the help of the VAR for an offside by José Aja, who was in Carvallo’s line of sight after a first shot by De la Rosa, although the center-back saw a lack that did not exist
Or a penalty action for the locals, in a header from Aja that grazed the hand of Aldo Corzo. The video arbitration called González and he considered that it was not an offense.
In what both the central defender and the VAR were correct was in the second goal of Santa Fe, in the 77th minute, when Neyder Moreno, who had entered for Harold Rivera at halftime and was very involved and focused on the game, won in speed starting from the middle of the field and defined hand in hand with Carvallo.
The rest of the game, Universitario worked to hold the mark and prevent Santa Fe from scoring one more goal, thinking about their chances of qualifying. In fact, it surpasses the reds in the table by goals scored. But the Lion is alive and depends on himself. Beating Goiás on the last date will be, at least, in the playoffs.
Jose Orlando Ascencio
sports deputy editor
@josasc
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