Millonarios struck at the right time, in the final of the first stage, to defeat Atlético Nacional 1-0 in Fort Lauderdale and to debut in the best way the star 16 that he got 15 days ago in El Campín, against the same rival.
Alberto Gamero’s team will now have a week to prepare their debut in the League against Deportivo Pasto, still waiting for the new parts for the second half, while the greens left a better memory than the final, now without Paulo Autori on the bench and still waiting for the new coach.
Nacional began the first half with all the intention of erasing the image it had left in the League final, as if the title dispute were not 180 minutes but 270 and the final 90 were those of Fort Lauderdale.
If the greens had been exaggeratedly cautious in the duel 15 days ago, this time William Amaral, the assistant and now temporary replacement for Paulo Autuori, put together an offensive approach and left Millonarios without the ball and practically without going past half the game. basketball court
Millonarios began to improve when the field began to dry out, because in the first minutes they not only fought against Nacional, but also against the puddles that were still on the field, after the two and a half hour delay. And little by little he began to balance the game.
Luis Eduardo Noriega. efe
The first-half shot was even, with side and side options. Millos missed it, in a shot by Daniel Cataño who saved Kevin Mier very well, with a rebound that Leo Castro did not take advantage of. Nacional had it with a shot from the edge of the area by Nelson Deossa.
From the annulled goal to Nacional to the 1-0 of Millonarios
The last minute of the first half was the most exciting of the game. Neyder Moreno, who returned well after passing through Santa Fe, scored, but Jefferson Duque was offside. From that action came a long serve from Montero that found Leonardo Castro with time and space to run towards the green goal and shoot a chip to beat Kevin Mier and score 1-0 for Millonarios. He had already tried minutes before, without success.
The second half was much less exciting, with two teams upset by the changes, except for the entry of Mackalister Silva at halftime by Larry Vásquez, who helped him recover the ball and control the game.
This time, the clearest ones were for Millionaires. Leo Castro had another play canceled that ended in a goal, due to a foul on Kevin Mier, and Édgar Guerra, alone in front of the goal, lost the 2-0 in front of the goal. He wanted to cross the ball to the other stick and shot it out.
The auction of the game allowed Nacional to prove its cards from minor divisions, among them Emilio Aristizábal, son of the historic green scorer, Víctor Aristizábal. For now, his presence was testimonial. The greens demanded a couple of times from the goalkeeper Montero, but they could not score.
The Colombian classic in Miami came out more entertaining than expected, with two teams in preseason, still with the tails of the final. And Millonarios maintained an advantage that the fans who arrived at the DRV PNK Stadium celebrated as if it were the extension of the final two weeks ago.
Jose Orlando Ascencio
sports deputy editor
@josasc