Comesaña’s Medellín pushes through in South American Cup

Goalkeeper Andrés Mosquera saved two penalties and starred Deportivo Independiente Medellín (DIM), who lost 2-1 to América in the second leg of the first stage of the Copa Sudamericana, but qualified for the group round by taking the series of penalties. win 3-1.

In regular time of the match at the Pascual Guerrero stadium in Cali, the local goals were the work of midfielders Carlos Sierra and Adrián Ramos, while Argentina’s Luciano Pons equalized for the Powerful and centre-back Andrés Cadavid missed a penalty.

In the DIM, the penalty shootout goals were the work of Cadavid, who claimed responsibility; Argentinian Adrián Arregui and Raúl Loaiza, who scored the final, while Jean Pineda failed.

Larry Angulo scored in the penalty shootout for the Red Devils and the Argentinian Alejandro Quintana, Daniel Hernández and Elvis Mosquera missed.

The first minutes of the game were very close as the visitors tried to wreak havoc with the space left by the locals with the elusive Vladimir Hernández.

América, however, opened the scoring at minute 8 in a counter-attack that started Venezuelan goalkeeper Joel Graterol and reached Esneyder Mena on the left from where he sent a center that Iago Falque controlled poorly but was left to his teammate Sierra, who took Falling, he an unreachable left shot for keeper Mosquera.

The equalizing goal came fifteen minutes later when Argentine Arregui took a risky free-kick that enabled his compatriot Pons to feint his rival in the area and score his first goal in international tournaments with the Powerful.

Despite the tie, the locals continued to attack led by Falque, who had two clear scoring options and played his best minutes since making his debut with the Red Devils last month.

In the complementary leg, América came out like a tractor and continued to search for the target to level the series, but the first obvious one was for Medellín when centre-back Jorge Segura knocked down Hernández in the area.

Venezuelan Graterol, however, got bigger and saved the penalty, a very strong shot from central defender Cadavid at minute 56.

Seven minutes later, it was 2-1 in a counterattack led by winger Elvis Mosquera, who sent a cross to Ramos who, after a sprint of more than 30 meters between the two central defenders and with a header. .

As the minutes passed, it started to rain and the match lost pace until the referee whistled for the end of regular time and everything was decided on penalties, where DIM got the standings.