In an unemotional and imprecise commitment, América de Cali drew goalless against Jaguares this Thursday in the first leg of the round of 16 of the BetPlay Cup 2021, held at the Pascual Guerrero Stadium.
It has come from more to less the red box. Despite the rotation, which implies other alternatives, it generates few opportunities, it looks lacking in clarity and is an easy reference for its opponents, who on the contrary know that they can have some profit if they dare to go to the front, as planned by César Torres. Pompilio Páez was on the bench for Juan Carlos Osorio, but the script remained the same.
It is worrying that he already accumulates about 280 minutes without scoring, counting the League and Cup games. He went blank against DIM, Patriotas and Jaguares, something that should call for reflection in a team wanting to be a leading player. In the midst of his disorder and anxiety, he met a Pablo Mina who locked his porch to take a valuable point.
The local defensive part was taken aback by the good action of the sky-blue attackers, who through speed and maneuver arrived permanently, making the scarlet rear quartet look very bad.
Erratic in the passes, Jaguares easily controlled the few actions generated by the premises, in which Adrián Ramos wanted to be shipwrecked
The first approaches to goal occurred at 8 minutes with Carlos Sierra and at 13 with José Luis Lloreda, but they did not end in the net.
Novoa had to intervene in a header from Mauricio Castaño, down to the right post, at 18.
In the midst of the evident dominance of the Cordoba team, Gustavo Torres took off Castaño’s mark and rehearsed with a shot that passed parallel to the crossbar, at 25.
For the resumption of the contest, Deinner Quiñones entered America for Luis Paz, and Nelino Tapia for Juan Sinisterra in Jaguares. With this variant Osorio wanted to connect more the medullary part with the attack, although the good concentration of Jaguares did not allow it.
Just after 2 minutes, Diomar Díaz failed to finish, but John Altamiranda did, but the ball was deflected.
Captain César Carrillo suffered only in one action in the middle of the court and was replaced by Fabián Mosquera at 6 minutes.
Deinner was associated well with ‘Adriancho’ and they produced another arrival to the Cordoba area, without specifying, at 10, and Díaz also tried with a middle distance right hand.
Wílder Guisao put a cross into the area at 18, Pérez went with a left foot to splice the ball, but he fouled Jhon Palacio and missed a clear approach from the Monterrey team.
Coach Torres included John Labastidas and Maicol Balanta for Jonh Altamiranda and Diomar Díaz, respectively, at 21; while Osorio joined Mauricio Gómez and Gustavo Carvajal for Carlos Sierra and Rodrigo Ureña, at 22.
A new arrival from the left, the area chosen by America to try to unbalance, almost ended in a header from Ramos, at 24. The attacker from Cauca reappeared with a powerful right from outside the area and Pablo Mina demanded to send the spherical above the horizontal.
Dairon Valencia entered for Guisao, at 29. Gustavo Torres also stepped on the area, but he could not define before the drainage of Mina. Nothing came out, and despair began to spread in the stands.
At 42, Arrieta received a cross into the small area, he lay down to head, but Mina saved again, confirming his remarkable performance in the complementary period.
Maicol Balanta almost converted the goal of the heavenly victory, with a shot that whistled through the right vertical in added time. They left in zero and concern increases among the fans of the Valle del Cauca team. Juan Carlos Osorio will have to work much harder from now on.
The second leg will be played on Wednesday, September 1 (5:30 pm) in Montería, where the winner will ensure the passage to the quarterfinals.
Marco Antonio Garcés
Correspondent Futbolred Cali
On twitter: @marquitosgarces
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