América de Cali vs Santa Fe opens the Liga BetPlay quarterfinals on Saturday at 8:20 p.m. at Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero, and Marlon Torres is back in the squad after missing the previous match for yellow-card accumulation. Four players were left out, giving David González a tighter group for the first leg in Cali before the series moves to Bogotá next week.
Torres Back in Cali
Torres returns to América de Cali’s call-up after serving the suspension that kept him out of the previous match. Brayan Correa, Dylan Borrero, Darwin Machis, and Yojan Garcés were left out, leaving four absences from the matchday list for the quarterfinal opener.
González said the team would likely use almost the same lineup that played against Alianza Atlético in the Sudamericana the previous Wednesday. That choice keeps the core intact after a week that already included continental competition and a win.
González Sees 90 Minutes
“Jugaremos contra un rival que lo conocemos bien, que lo enfrentamos acá en casa en un marco espectacular el día de cumpleaños del club; es un equipo que compite, que no será fácil superarlo y va a estar con intenciones competitivas durante los 90 minutos, y por eso es muy importante el apoyo de la gente,” González said Friday. He framed the home leg as a difficult 90-minute test, not a cushion.
He added: “es un inicio de fase final que es importante. El hecho de que ambos equipos hayamos tenido competencia entre semana nos pone en igualdad de condiciones en tema de recuperación y días de descanso. Venimos con la muy buena mentalidad de haber ganado, de ponernos en pelea por el grupo de Sudamericana, lo que nos tiene la esperanza y confianza arriba con toda la ilusión de empezar de la mejor manera y marcar diferencia en casa.”
El Campín Returns Tuesday
The tie starts in Cali and is scheduled to be decided on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. at Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campín in Bogotá. América gets the first shot at home, but the return leg gives Santa Fe a quick turn to answer in its own stadium.
For América, the immediate task is to turn the squad news into an advantage before the series leaves Pascual Guerrero. For Santa Fe, the next 90 minutes in Cali are the first chance to manage the damage before the second leg in Bogotá.
