The first thing to say is that this knockout was not the fault of any judge, the Colombians were not robbed, there was no injustice: due to the points and the development of the fight, the loss was fair and square.
This is how Junior de Barranquilla has said goodbye to the 2024 Copa Libertadores, the one that they once dreamed of competing in until the final stages, due to a tie that Colo Colo of Chile decided in their favor thanks to their desire, their courage, and their daring, thanks to which they won 1-0 in the first leg and 1-2 in the second leg. A painful but well-deserved Chilean victory that gives them a place in the quarterfinals and leaves the Colombians, once again, watching on TV those who are competing for the titles.
And the start was exciting for a Junior team in need and with the untimely injury of Jermaine Peña and a Colo Colo team with courage, who did not hide at the start but gave some space, like the one by Bacca at 4 minutes that went close to the post, when he shot without much opposition, facing the goal.
The problem is that once again the speed and impetus of the beginnings seem to be fading away in a Junior that is running out of ideas, beyond a couple of timid approaches from Yairo and Enamorado, while Colo Colo scared everyone with one arrival, a bomb that Olivera deactivated at the last moment, a red alert for Reyes’ men, once again imprecise and slow at the start, like in the League.
That fear of fighting and not achieving goals was sensed by a daring Colo Colo, who scored, with a shot from Cepeda in the 43rd minute, a real blow to the Junior team’s hopes.
Fortunately, however, the shark, against all odds, seemed to take the blow well and went without hesitation for an equaliser that was achieved moments before half-time: Didier Moreno passed the ball to Bacca and the scorer’s fabulous finish made it 1-1, bringing Reyes’ men back into the game: once again, the difference was just one goal.
And Junior had the second at the start of the second half, another gift from Falcón (like in the first leg) and again Didier recovered it for Bacca who this time incredibly missed the striker. Shame. Just like Fuentes’ recovery, Herrara’s cross and Yairo Moreno’s header that should have ended up in the back of the net at 54 minutes. It didn’t want to go in.
The controversy of the match came at 60 minutes when neither the centre-back nor the linesman saw the blatant handball outside the area by goalkeeper Cortés, who, just in case, had already been given a yellow card. They did not take notice despite Bacca’s angry protest.
The save of the night was the work of Mele, who in the 72nd minute denied Wiemberg a goal with his foot, but there was no longer any defense when Falcon appeared in the corner kick that beat Bacca, Moreno, who had been a gladiator, did not arrive and the defender beat him in a definition that was a devastating blow, insurmountable.
Reyes took too long to make the changes, to notice that it was not Enamorado’s or Cantillo’s night and he bet too late on Chará and the latter burned his last cartridge in a block that was stopped well.
After that, everything went from bad to worse: Rafa Pérez foolishly got into a fight that got him sent off and then, at ten, it was all an impossible dream.
All eyes are now on coach Reyes, who is being blamed for his approach in Santiago and Barranquilla, the resounding failure playing at home throughout the Copa Libertadores and the well-deserved defeat, which could lead to radical decisions being made very soon by the shark.
