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The two best teams of the year will compete from this Sunday (6:00 pm for Win) for the Christmas star. The Scarlets are seeking their 15th title and the Cardinals their 10th. A duel of tradition, with a reserved prognosis.
2020 has been one of the hardest years in human history and without a doubt the most rugged for sports.
Even the world wars of the last century did not disrupt soccer leagues in every corner of the planet.
For months, thousands of stadiums were empty and silent, as a result of the pandemic, until protocols were defined and implemented for the return to competition.
And little by little the tournaments, the goals and the emotions returned. Amid fear, uncertainty and doubts, football was a major factor in the revival.
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Without fans in the stands, the leagues returned to distract a society beaten and paranoid before the pandemic. And the halls of the houses became bleachers. The way of supporting the teams changed, but the sentiment remained.
Champions were crowned in Europe and other parts of the world. And in Colombia, in the midst of a deep sporting crisis, with chaos in the Dimayor, scandals in the Colombian Football Federation, poor results of the national team and a shameful participation of the clubs in international tournaments, the BetPlay League could be played with relative normal.
And the final are the two best teams of the year, those who knew better how to overcome difficulties during the season and achieved better results, two clubs with rich history and tradition, two institutions that, like few others, have been reborn from the ashes in others times of adversity, as if reaching this stage were a reward for their perseverance and fighting spirit.
The cardinal resurrection
After enjoying the most successful decade in its history, with nine titles and several more finals since 2009, Independiente Santa Fe was in crisis just over a year ago. The relegation was not imminent, but it worried his fans; but everything changed with the arrival of Eduardo Méndez to the presidency and Hárold Rivera to the bench, despite the fact that the omens were not good.
In the administrative part, the house was put in order, a key point for financial and sports stability. And with an average squad, no big stars, but a lot of commitment, the results came immediately. The rebound in the second half of 2019 was enough to qualify for the semifinal home runs and fight until the last date.
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And already in 2020 that process was consolidated. The cardinal team has played 24 games, with 13 wins, eight draws and only three losses. He has scored 39 goals and has received only 20. He will finish, whatever happens, first in the reclassification of the year and will play the Copa Libertadores 2021.
“We are very satisfied with the campaign, but we want to finish the job with the star”, assures coach Hárold Rivera, for whom the key to success has been “the unity of the group, the commitment of all the players and constant work. Here, since we arrived, we have all thrown to the same side. It has been a great challenge, especially on the issue of the pandemic, but we have taken it forward ”, adds the 50-year-old strategist from Tolima, who does not hide his anxiety about being on the verge of achieving his first league title.
The American miracle
The recent history of America has similarities. After five years in the second division, between 2012 and 2016, the scarlet box returned to the A, but just a year ago it regained glory, by conquering its 14 star. It was done by the hand of coach Alexandre Guimarães by winning in the final of the tournament passed to Atlético Júnior, which was the favorite.
But the pandemic generated instability and the economic crisis prevented the continuity of the Brazilian strategist. In full quarantine, the Argentine Juan Cruz Real took over the team amid criticism for his inexperience and lack of scrolls to lead one of the most winning clubs in the country, and for Tulio Gómez, the largest shareholder, for not investing more money and reinforce the staff.
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But the leader and the coach covered their mouths, as the current champion will defend the crown in the final instance. This season, he has won 11 of 24 games, tied seven and lost six, with 37 goals for and 25 against, for 40 points. Statistics slightly lower than those of Santa Fe, but also positive.
What most excites his fans is the way he reached the grand final, eliminating no less than Nacional and Júnior, both times as a visitor.
“It has not been an easy road, but the group has shown hierarchy at key moments. Now nobody can take away the dream of being champions, apart from the fact that there will be a very good rival in front of us, as have all those we left behind, ”warns Cruz Real, whose continuity will also depend on the outcome of the final, because Although the results support him, his team’s game has failed to seduce the Scarlet fans.
Of reserved forecast
By numbers, Santa Fe is a favorite in the series, but it is clear that in these instances the antecedents count for little. Emotionally, the cardinals arrive stronger, due to the regularity they have had during the semester. “We are favored by the fact that we are not dependent on any player. We have a very even squad, in which all the boys have responded when we have needed them, ”Rivera said before traveling to Cali, for the first leg, this Sunday from 6:00 pm, with a broadcast of Win Sports +.
America’s strength is that it comes back and forth, like racehorses. He has overcome injuries, sanctions and even absences for positives for coronavirus. “What we have clear is that we are going to leave our souls in each game. This hobby deserves it and we deserve it, we have worked very hard to get here, ”argued Cruz Real.
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For Santa Fe, it would be the tenth star in its history, after the six achieved between 1960 and 1975, and the three most recent, in 2012, 2014 and 2016. America (which won the previous ones between 1979 and 2019) is looking for 15.
The return match will be played next Sunday, December 27 in El Campín, without an audience, but with the attention of two of the most passionate and traditional fans in the country.
