Matchday Preview Group A: Let football do the talking

This is it, folks. The Colombian Apertura tournament heads for the finals. Teams in group A will meet today with the dire necessity of starting this group stage on the right track. Group B will kick off tomorrow. 

Junior- Deportivo Cali (6:20 pm Colombian time)

The sharks will look to start the party early with a victory over their toughest rivals in the groups. Toninghts match seems to be the battle of the wizards as Giovanni Hernandez (G-10) is back to direct the sharks’ symphony orchestra while their counterparts feature Argentinian maestro Pablo Batalla who is now in a top form. G10’s patrner in crime will be Emerson Acuña as the home side seems willing to use all their main weapons from the get go. Up front, Norbet “speedy” Orozco will fill up the U-18 spot joining goalscoring machine Teofilo Gutierrez. Orozco is not expected to last more than 15 minutes on the field to be replaced by former Lille forward Luis Yanes.

Green menace Boss José Hernandez has decided to counter the threat using only one striker who isn’t Sergio Herrera, out because of an injury. Armando Carrillo has the duty to deliver the goals and the rock solid holding duo of Andres Pérez and Mariano Herrón will have extra help with Danny Aguilar and Camilo Ayala covering the wings considering that the Metropolitano stadium has one of the widest pitches in the country.

Teams will probably be lined up as follows:

Junior:

Adrian Berbia the Uruguayan shot-stopper that has secured Junior’s goal this season. He cleared the doubts that Didier Muñoz used to leave. Veteran Hayder Palacio will be on right back now with less speed but deadlier crosses. On the left, Roberto Carlos Cortés, another veteran who resurrected his game at Junior after dubious spells at Millonarios and Medellin. Center backs will be John Valencia and Brayner García, the latter being the subject of a brief tug-of-war between Cucuta, his former side, and Junior. In the midfield, Javier Florez and Alex Jaramillo will do the dirty work leaving the magic to Giovanni Hernandez and Emerson Acuña. Up front, “Speedy” Orozco before being replaced by Luis Yanes and Teófilo Gutierrez.

The visiting side will start a foreign keeper as well: Sebastian Blazquez, one of the success stories of this season. His defence will feature Alvaro Hungría filling the U-18 slot to be replaced quickly by Elkin Calle in the right back. On the left back, Juan Guillermo Dominguez, youger brother of Alvaro Dominguez, today at Sion in Switzerland. Center backs will be Diego Valdés and Edgar Zapata, a former Junior man before his Mexican spell at Veracruz. Two holding mids: Colombian Andrés Pérez and Argentine Mariano Herron  and two wingers with both offensive and defensive duties Danny Aguilar on the left and Camilo Ayala on the right. Interesting pair of products of the Green Menace youth system. Up front, creative genius Pablo Batalla will look to assist dangerman Armando Carrillo, a speedy forward tricky to stop. 

Cucuta-Envigado (8:15 pm Colombian Time)

The border city prepares itself for another tremendous crowd at the General Santander stadium as it happens everytime the warriors of Cucuta play at home.  Always controversial, warriors’ boss Jorge Luis Pinto has already said that he expects game officials to guarantee fairness after a series of rows with referees from previous games. The visitors have no played into the mindgames. Orange boss Aristizábal is pleased that he has the whole squad at his disposal including promising youngster Dorlan Pabón, who is rumored to be scouted by Racing de Avellaneda in Argentina. 

Lineups:

Leandro Castellanos, one of the top goalkeeping prospects in the FPC will continue to start for Cucuta. Victor Tarazona will be on the right while Elvis Gonzalez will be on the left. The veteran duo of Pedro Portocarrero and Roberto Peñaloza will take care of business in the center of defence. Moving up, Uruguayan Charles Castro is the lead defensive midfielder who will be assisted in the wings by Luis Narvaez and Rodrigo Castillo. Diminutive anchor midfielder Edison “the flea” Pinzón will start after the coach decided to drop Uruguayan José Tancredi who has not convinced the gaffer with his contributions. Up front, explosive Lionard Pajoy wil link up with clinical finisher Roberto Gamarra who hails from Paraguay. 

The visiting side includes a combo of sharpened veterans making an interesting mixture with a pack of hungry youngsters. Their keeper is a veteran: Roberto Mosquera who comes back from a spell in Bolivia. Former Nacional right back Marlon Piedrahita has secured his place in the lineup, something he couldn’t do with the stripped greens. The other wing will be for former Bucaramanga man Farid Díaz. Veteran Duvan Hernandez will join youngster Luis Pérez in the center of the defence. The midfield is all veteran: Alex Orrego, Juan Fernando Leal, Neider Morantes and Freddy Grisales can probably count more years of footballing experience together than the combined ages of Dorlan Pabón and Fabio Burbano, the two youngins who will be forwards today.

What an entertaining saturday evening of football do we have ahead of us. May the best teams win.

  

Category: Fútbol Profesional Colombiano News