The match between Real Cartagena and Atlético FC, for the tenth round of the BetPlay II-2024 Tournament, ended with an unprecedented situation in the history of Colombian Professional Football. The Heroico was winning 1-0 at the end of the first half, but the game did not resume after the break. The reason? The visiting team allegedly violated Article 45 of the Betplay Tournament regulations, as they did not have a registered medical doctor on the bench with DIMAYOR.
In the development, Real Cartagena came out with their usual intention: to seek the three points. Forward Miguel Murillo had three clear chances to score in the first half hour, but he was unlucky in front of goal.
At minute 35, Jesús Espinosa threaded a ball into space for Jairo Ditta, and inside the area, the player from Guajira crossed with his left foot for Murillo, who, also with a first touch, finished with the inside of his right foot and sent it to the back of the net. The number 26 found the reward he had been seeking all night to bring joy to the fans who filled the stands of Jaime Morón León.
With the goal from the Valle del Cauca forward, according to the specialized account Real Cartagena Datos (@RC_Datos), the Heroico reached 29 consecutive matches scoring at home, matching their historical streak from April 2018 to September 2019.
The locals continued to seek the rival goal, so much so that at 45+1, De La Rosa created a great play with Castillo and Torres, but the number 7 shot way over the goal. Thus ended the first 45 minutes.
At the start of the second half, the match was suspended. During the first half, Atlético’s referee Jhonier Alomía suffered a cut on his head, and they only poured water on him without providing further medical attention. Alex Rendón, a delegate from Real Cartagena, noticed the situation: Atlético did not have a doctor and protested to the referees at halftime. For the moment, the auriverde team would receive the points from the “desk”, but it remained to be seen when DIMAYOR would officially confirm it.
Real Cartagena continues its winning streak and is the sole leader of the Tournament with 22 points, resulting from eight wins, one draw, and two losses. Their next match will be on Tuesday the 17th, at 5:45 p.m. against Real Cundinamarca.