In the opening match of the season, Bucaramanga and Boyacá Chicó fought to a 1-1 stalemate at the Estadio Américo Montanini.
Boyacá Chicó drew first blood with a goal from Frank Salas in the 13th minute of the first half. Bucaramanga equalized just before halftime when Luciano Pons converted a penalty kick in the 38th minute.
In the dying moments of the match, Bucaramanga nearly snatched victory when Carlos Henao’s shot hit the post in the 94th minute.
The match statistics showed Bucaramanga’s dominance in terms of shots, with 8 on target, 1 hitting the post, and 5 going wide.
Luciano Pons was the standout player, scoring the equalizer and attempting 4 shots on goal, while Darío Denis, the goalkeeper for Boyacá Chicó, excelled with 6 saves.
Bucaramanga’s coach, Leonel Álvarez, deployed a 4-5-1 formation featuring Aldair Quintana in goal; the defensive line consisted of Bayron Duarte, Jefferson Mena, Carlos Henao, and Fredy Hinestroza; midfield included Fabry Castro, Leonardo Flores, Faber Gil Mosquera, Fabián Sambueza, and Kevin Londoño; with Luciano Pons leading the attack.
On the other side, Boyacá Chicó, guided by Flabio Torres, also lined up in a 4-5-1 setup with Darío Denis in goal and a defense comprising José Ampudia, Frank Salas, Elian Peralta, and Albin Valencia. Kevin Londoño, Kevin Cortés, Luis Segura, Johan Bocanegra, and Juan Quiceno manned the midfield, while Jairo Molina was the lone striker up front.
The match was officiated by referee Mauricio Mercado Palencia.
Looking ahead, Bucaramanga will travel to face América de Cali in their next match, while Boyacá Chicó will host Independiente Medellín.
With this draw, Bucaramanga collects 1 point, sitting in fifth place, whereas Boyacá Chicó also gains 1 point and occupies fourth position.
Substitutions for Bucaramanga
70’ 2T – Leonardo Flores off for Felix Charrupí
72’ 2T – Faber Gil Mosquera off for Juan Mosquera
86’ 2T – Bayron Duarte off for Aldair Gutiérrez
Yellow Cards for Bucaramanga:
26’ 1T – Leonardo Flores (Unsporting Behavior)
19’ 2T – Carlos Henao (Unsporting Behavior)
Substitutions for Boyacá Chicó
28’ 1T – Kevin Londoño off for Delio Ramírez
45’ 2T – Luis Segura off for Michael Gómez, Juan Quiceno off for Brayan Palacio
74’ 2T – José Ampudia off for Yael López
78’ 2T – Jairo Molina off for Vladimir Hernández
82’ 2T – Delio Ramírez off for Andrés Dieppa
Yellow Cards for Boyacá Chicó:
33’ 1T – Flabio Torres (Insulting or Disapproving of the Referee)
4’ 2T – Brayan Palacio (Unsporting Behavior)
48’ 2T – Frank Salas (Unsporting Behavior)