This Sunday, the Matecaña Fury and the Cardinal clashed in a match that featured plenty of action, resulting in a 2-2 stalemate on the first day of the Colombian top flight.
Santa Fe initially took the lead with a well-placed goal by Santiago Mosquera in the 31st minute, followed by Yeicar Perlaza’s stunning strike just before halftime in the 46th minute. However, Pereira responded strongly after the break with Gustavo Torres scoring in the 53rd minute, and Yuber Quiñones equalizing in the 60th minute with a deft finish.
Yeicar Perlaza electrified the stadium at the end of the first half with his goal from a precise cross delivered by Ángelo Rodríguez, which left Pereira’s goalkeeper Salvador Ichazo no chance.
Statistically, Pereira was the more aggressive side, registering 24 shots towards goal, with 12 on target and 9 off the mark, plus one that hit the woodwork. Despite their dominance in chances, they could not secure a victory.
A key moment for Pereira came when Darwin Quintero missed a penalty in the 56th minute, which could have swung the game in their favor.
Yuber Quiñones stood out as the man of the match, scoring one of the goals and attempting two shots on target, showcasing his significant impact. Meanwhile, Yeicar Perlaza was equally important for Santa Fe, also scoring and attempting two shots.
The head coach of Pereira, Rafael Dudamel, employed a 4-5-1 formation with Salvador Ichazo in goal; Eber Moreno, José Moya, Santiago Aguilar, and Omar Albornoz in defense; Victor Mejía, Kelvin Osorio, Jhon Largacha, Darwin Quintero, and Yuber Quiñones in midfield; and Samy Merheg leading the attack.
Santa Fe, managed by Jorge Bava, lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Weimar Asprilla guarding the net; Jhon Meléndez, Iván Scarpeta, David Ramírez, and Santiago Tamayo forming the defense; and a midfield featuring Yeicar Perlaza, Jhojan Torres, Tomás Molina, and Jeison Angulo, with Marlon Balanta and Ángelo Rodríguez upfront.
Referee Álvaro Meléndez Panneflek officiated the match.
In their next fixtures, the Matecaña Fury will visit Alianza FC, while the Cardinal will face Tolima away at the Estadio Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo.
With this result, both teams finish the day with 1 point, placing Pereira in 6th and Santa Fe in 5th position in the standings.
Pereira Substitutions
45’ 2T – Substitutions: Samy Merheg for Gustavo Torres, Jhon Largacha for Marco Pérez, Omar Albornoz for Jordy Monroy
76’ 2T – Substitution: Kelvin Osorio for Yesus Cabrera
80’ 2T – Substitution: Yuber Quiñones for Adrián Estacio
Yellow Cards for Pereira:
19’ 2T Jordy Monroy (Unsporting behavior), 24’ 2T Gustavo Torres (Unsporting behavior), 32’ 2T Yuber Quiñones (Unsporting behavior)
Santa Fe Substitutions
27’ 1T – Substitution: David Ramírez for Santiago Mosquera
54’ 1T – Substitutions: Marlon Balanta for Jhoyler Andrades, Ángelo Rodríguez for Daniel Torres, Yeicar Perlaza for Martin Palacios
Yellow Cards for Santa Fe:
2’ 2T Jeison Angulo (Unsporting behavior), 38’ 2T Jhojan Torres (Unsporting behavior)
Red Card for Santa Fe:
51’ 1T Weimar Asprilla (Direct red)