In a thrilling encounter, Fortaleza FC managed to outplay Once Caldas, securing a hard-fought victory of 2-1 at home. The hosts established a solid lead early in the match, scoring two goals before halftime. Emilio Aristizábal opened the scoring with a penalty at the 16th minute, followed by Ronaldo Pájaro doubling the advantage just before halftime at the 40th minute.
Once Caldas struggled to reverse the scoreline but found the net through Dayro Moreno with a header shortly after the halftime break, at the 47th minute. Despite their efforts, they could only pull one back.
Ronaldo Pájaro was a standout performer, contributing both in attack and defense, successfully scoring one goal and attempting two shots during the match. Alongside him, Emilio Aristizábal also shone, netting one of the crucial goals.
Fortaleza FC’s manager, Sebastián Oliveros, opted for a 4-4-2 formation, featuring Jordan Garcia in goal; Jonathan Marulanda, Yesid Díaz, Harold Balanta, and Sebastián Valencia at the back; with Cristian Mosquera, Leonardo Pico, Ronaldo Pájaro, and Kelvin Flórez in midfield; and Andrés Ricaurte partnering with Emilio Aristizábal up front.
On the other side, Once Caldas, led by Hernán Herrera, set up in a 4-5-1 formation with Felipe Parra in goal; Efraín Navarro, Juan Castaño, Kevin Cuesta, and Kevin Tamayo in defense; Mateo García, Juan Camilo García, Déinner Quiñónes, Esteban Beltrán, and Felipe Gomez in midfield; and Dayro Moreno as the lone striker.
The match was officiated by Edwin Trujillo Castro, who maintained order throughout the game.
Looking ahead, Fortaleza FC will face Deportivo Cali away, while Once Caldas will clash against Bucaramanga in their upcoming fixtures. With this win, Fortaleza FC climbs to third place in the league standings with 6 points, while Once Caldas remains at the bottom without a point to their name.
Substitutions for Fortaleza FC
45’ 2T – Andrés Ricaurte was replaced by Andrés Amaya and Harold Balanta was replaced by Luis Escorcia.
56’ 2T – Kelvin Flórez was substituted for Santiago Cuero.
76’ 2T – Emilio Aristizábal was replaced by Jhon Martínez.
82’ 2T – Cristian Mosquera was substituted for Edwin Cabezas.
Cautions for Fortaleza FC:
3’ 1T – Sebastián Valencia (Unsportsmanlike conduct) and 12’ 2T – Sebastián Oliveros (Insulting or disapproving the referee).
Red card for Fortaleza FC:
8’ 2T – Sebastián Valencia (Second yellow card).
Substitutions for Once Caldas
16’ 1T – Juan Camilo García was replaced by Tomás García.
58’ 2T – Esteban Beltrán was substituted for Luis Palacios.
69’ 2T – Felipe Gomez was replaced by Jefry Zapata.
Cautions for Once Caldas:
13’ 1T – Juan Camilo García (Unsportsmanlike conduct), 9’ 2T – Kevin Tamayo (Unsportsmanlike conduct), 16’ 2T – Kevin Cuesta (Unsportsmanlike conduct), 30’ 2T – Felipe Parra (Insulting or disapproving the referee), and 42’ 2T – Tomás García (Holding a player to prevent them from advancing).