For the third consecutive tournament, O’Higgins starts with a victory. With Mariano Soso, Pablo de Muner and now with Juan Manuel Azconzábal, the team managed to add in their first presentation. But, unlike previous processes, the celestial picture shows another side, with variants that suggest that the future will be promising.
Against Deportes Copiapó, Capo quickly found the key to the goal. A long ball found Arnaldo Castillo who, in solidarity, left the shot to Simón Contreras and he did not miss. At 2′ there was already a difference in the score, which as the minutes went by was increased thanks to the score by Octavio Bianchi, who closed a collective action that he himself started with Castillo (5′).
Then came a series of opportunities from both sides, but O’Higgins always seemed more solid. Even after the penalty missed by Quinteros (45′) and the goal by Tobías Figueroa (52′) – who always scores against the Rancagüinos – and the other maximum penalty wasted by Luna (61′), Azconzábal’s team had the resolve to settle everything and get the 1-3 through Bryan Rabello, after the great play of Martín Sarrafiore (76′).
“The team, at times, did things very well, and at times was subdued by the rival based on crosses,” coach Juan Manuel Azconzábal noted after the game. What’s more, he put the brakes on and made it clear that this is just beginning. “We have to be balanced, the tournament is just beginning.”
Likewise, he commented that, in his opinion, “we played the entire game in the same way. At no point did we modify the system”, and that “the team created situations, in the first half it was unfair if we finished 2-1, I think, because counting the two goals we had six opportunities”, and “in the second half the opponent’s goal “They cornered us, something normal, on a field where they are comfortable, but we continued to create scoring opportunities, but it was a matter of elaboration.”
And now comes Colo-Colo. As in 2023, both teams will come into the clash with a victory under their belt. As a fan said after the Saturday game, I hope that this 2024, the winner is the same as last year and what better than in front of only light blue fans in the stands.
Match sheet
Sports Copiapó (1): Nelson Espinoza Álvaro Cazula, Nicolás Vargas, Diego García; Felipe Reynero (64′, Juan Carlos Gaete), Juan Jaime, Leonardo Pais (75′, Marco Medel), Yerko Oyanedel, Jorge Luna; Tobías Figueroa, Maximiliano Quinteros (75′, Isaac Díaz). DT: Ivo Basay.
O’Higgins (3): Nicholas Peranic; Leonel Mosevich, John Fountains; Simon Contreras, Cristóbal Castillo (64th, Moses Gonzalez), Pedro Navarro, Bryan Rabello (76th, Diego Bounanotte), Martin Sarrafiore (88th, Esteban Calderon); Octavio Bianchi (64′, Camilo Moya), Arnaldo Castillo (76′, Esteban Moreira). DT: John Manuel Azconzabal.
Referees: Piero Maza, Leslie Vásquez, Felipe Jara, Matías Riquelme.
WAS: Víctor Abarzúa, Matías Assadi.
Cautioned: Vargas, Jaime (COP); Azconzábal DT, Navarro, Contreras (OHI).
Goals: 0-1, 2′, Contreras; 0-2, 5′, Bianchi; 1-2, 51′, Figueroa; 1-3, 75′, Rabello.
Estadio: Luis Valenzuela, Copiapó.
Public: 3,042 spectators.
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