Sports Tolima is grown. It is the only Colombian team that managed to survive in the Copa Libertadoresafter qualifying for the round of 16, breaking the bad streak that the Colombian teams had, which had not been able to overcome the group stage since 2018.
Deportivo Cali, visiting Boca Juniors and depending on a tie to advance, lost 1-0 and stayed outside. It falls to the South American Cup. In turn, Junior was humiliated in the South American and was left out when he fell against Unión de Argentina, 0-4.
Imposing pass of Tolima
The awakening of Colombian teams at the continental level continues to be slow, late. In a scenario of continuous eliminations, Tolima stands out, which managed to advance, being the best of a national team in the last 4 years.
Since 2018, when Nacional qualified for the round of 16 (being eliminated by Atlético Tucumán from Argentina), none had been able to reach that stage.
Hence the importance of this classification. In addition, Tolima did it impressively, defeating Atlético Mineiro at home, in Brazil, 1-2, with Mineiro being one of the favorites to fight for the title.
Tolima had been working hard to finally get through the group stage. He had a very difficult one, not only for Mineiro, but for Independiente del Valle from Ecuador, which has been one of the revelations in recent years at the continental level.
The red wine team, champion of the first semester in Colombia last year, put together a very competitive squad this time, to advance and appear internationally. In 2019, Tolima stayed in the group stage; in 2020 it did not even reach that stage, and in 2021 it did not qualify. That’s why the excitement in the club to reach the round of 16.
“Happy, proud of the players we have, they all make a difference,” said coach Hernán Torres.
The furthest a Colombian team has come in recent years in the Copa Libertadores was in 2016, when Nacional itself, the same team that won it in 1989, won the title. Now, the panorama is not yet to launch fireworks, Cali said goodbye. He could not survive his visit to La Bombonera, he lost 1-0, against a rival who came out to devour him, he won and qualified for the round of 16.
In the South American the panorama is gray. Last night Junior lost in Barranquilla in a resounding way and accumulated a new failure. In this Cup, the best performance of a Colombian team dates back to 2015, when Santa Fe won it. Then, in 2016 Nacional was a finalist; in 2017 Junior was a semifinalist; in 2018 the same team from Barranquilla lost the final and since then the best were the quarterfinals that Junior reached in 2020.
Cali will have to raise its head in the South American, and Tolima, the Colombian team of the moment, will fight to continue advancing.
SPORTS
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