Chile were looking to get their first victory in qualifying after defeat in Montevideo and Colombia were looking to continue their winning ways after beating Venezuela by the slimmest of margins in Barranquilla. The event took place at the Monumental Stadium in Santiago on the second day of the competition that determines the six or seven world champions of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol). The most recent episode of this confrontation, under the same scenario in October 2020 and without capacity due to pandemic restrictions, ended in a two-goal draw and a points split that ultimately led to both teams being eliminated from Qatar 2022.
The first 10 minutes passed quietly, as if players were measuring every step on a field where conditions were so poor that the game was almost postponed. Luis Díaz brought the game out of lethargy with a run down the left wing where he fired a free throw that the Chilean defense was able to block before it was saved by Rafael Santos Borré. The Werder Bremen striker from Germany was looking to celebrate his second goal of the competition. With the high pressure of their top three – Díaz, Santos Borré and Jhon Arias, who moved along the entire attacking front – the Coffee Farmers prevented Chile from emerging from the game without mistakes and organizing their game. But the intensity didn’t last forever.
The “La Roja” players soon responded, taking over the spotlight and troubling goalkeeper Camilo Vargas with quick transitions. A shot from medium distance around the 12th minute warned of the impending shock. Colombian defender Yerry Mina had to leave the field injured and was replaced by Dávinson Sánchez, who plays for Tottenham in England. The change caused concern among the visiting team, which Benjamín Brereton, Diego Valdés and Alexis Sánchez, the attacking trident fielded by coach Eduardo Berizzo, took advantage of.
About half an hour into the game, Brereton anticipated a cross from Valdés, took advantage of a slip by full-back Daniel Muñoz and left the ball to midfielder Rodrigo Echeverría. His shot hit the post as Vargas had no chance to prevent the goal and Colombia breathed a sigh of relief. Eight minutes later, Brereton again overcame Muñoz’s resistance and tried to help the now classic Alexis Sánchez, but his pass was so powerful that the Inter Milan striker was unable to direct it towards the goal.
The first half ended with Chilean superiority and dominance. When referee Jesús Valenzuela blew the whistle for the restart, Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo had given his team a boost by substituting Jhon Durán and James Rodríguez for Borré and Jorge Carrascal, respectively. Although the new faces initially made no difference, they managed to pressure the South team for possession and slow down the momentum of their attacks.
A quiet ball, sanctioned by a handball from Muñoz in the middle of the field, ended in a disallowed goal. 78 minutes had been played and Sánchez sent the cross. Guillermo Maripán stood over all the corpses roaming the area. The excitement overwhelmed the fans who came to the Monumental Stadium, the fire extinguishers prepared for the celebration with white smoke were fired, the defender celebrated. But Valenzuela declared a clear offside after reviewing the play, drowning out the screams. There were no protests.
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Two minutes before the end of the game, Valdés took advantage of a weak shot from Dávinson Sánchez near his own goal. Camilo Vargas stretched to avoid defeat. Without the Atlas de Guadalajara goalkeeper, Colombia would have left Santiago without points and lost third place in the table. Chile, for its part, completed its double round of qualifying with the disappointment of achieving more and advancing to the qualifying zone. The third and fourth days take place on October 12th and 17th.
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