There is rebellion in the Monumental

Problems under the rug, forgotten for 45 minutes. That simple act of dignity reached Colo Colo to surprise at the Monumental. Yes, a surprise, after a terrible first half against Peñarol, after going at a disadvantage and ending up winning 2-1 in Group C of the Copa Libertadores.

A slow team, a team without compromise, where nobody asks for the ball or takes the lead. A squad dependent on some glimpse of Paredes, his 40-year-old legend, who is no longer there to set up a game, but to finish in the area the balls that do not reach him today. This was the first half of a match that was the extension of the crisis suffered by the Cacique in the National Championship. With another scenario and with another requirement, that of a Copa Libertadores that returned in the middle of a health bubble due to Covid.

And that the Uruguayans do not live a very bright present in their own competition. Perhaps only for that reason the differences in the scoreboard before the break were not clearer. What did the whites play? To fear. To put a scraping midfield (Fuentes, Carmona and Suazo), who did not scrape anything. And tour the bands with Bolados and Mouche, who never overflowed. Very bad.

With those royalties, Peñarol was feeling more and more comfortable. He acknowledged that the wings are a great defensive problem for his rivals and sent Pellistri (author of the 0-1) and Torres, two young men who did not take his body off the mission, to run along the banks. The mirasols were better and took advantage fairly.

Something had to be done after the terrible first half. At least a change in attitude, whatever. Gualberto Jara dared a little more, with the entry of Valencia through Carmona. A simple, small message, but a message after all. The truth is that their leaders did enter the field with another face. The team stopped a few meters later, there was no longer just a cut in the middle. And the best thing is that he found the tie quickly, because at 51 ‘, Suazo hit the right hand that showed Colo Colo that he could.

There is no better clean and jerk in football than the goal. The Cacique grew up. Believed. He was not far behind with equality and, without being brilliant, at least he remained installed in the opposite field. He even had room to put together a more than decent team play, which ended with Gargano’s penalty on Bolados. The ideal occasion for Paredes to continue adding brands. The forward did not tremble: he scored 2-1, his 23rd score in the Copa Libertadores, 21 with the albos (he beat Chamaco by one) and 197 with the popular jersey adding all the competitions.

Undeterred. Now the Cacique was up and put himself in an unbeatable position in the group, due to the result in the other party of the group. Tiredness arrived, Colo Colo leaned back. And Cortés, who came from watching the last games from the bench, became a figure, with a notable cover. And Colo Colo did it: he won. Against all odds, against his own mediocrity, he imposed rebellion, dignity and the desire not to continue falling off a cliff. A good one, a very good one. There is life in the Monumental.

FILE:

Colo Colo: B. Cortés; F. Campos, J. Barroso, JM Insaurralde, O. Opazo; C. Fuentes, C. Carmona (46 ′, L. Valencia), G. Suazo; M. Bolados (84 ′, B. Véjar), E. Paredes (86 ′, J. Parraguez), P. Mouche (90 ′, R. De la Fuente). DT: G. Jara.

Peñarol: K. Dawson; G. González, F. Formiliano, E. Martínez, J. Piequerez; J. Trindade, W. Gargano (71 ‘, K. Vadócz); F. Pellistri, D. Terans (71 ‘, X. Jiménez), F. Torres (81’, C. Bravo); A. Álvarez (81 ′, L. Acevedo). DT: M. Saralegui.

Goals: 0-1, 40 ′, Pellistri takes advantage of a loose ball and solves with an empty goal; 1-1, 51 ′, Suazo first defines a Mouche center from the left; 2-1, 63 ′, Paredes scores a penalty after a foul on Bolados.

Referee: Mauro Vigliano (ARG). He admonished Campos, Insaurralde, Cortés (CC); Gonzalez (P)

Monumental Stadium. No audience.