A night of great football, solid defense, and effectiveness was experienced at the Jaime Morón León with Real Cartagena’s 2-0 victory over Deportes Quindío in a match valid for the eighth date of the BetPlay II-2024 Tournament. Juan José Salcedo was the standout player, scoring both goals that sealed a new victory, the fourth consecutive win for the Heroico between the Tournament and Cup.
In his third match on the Auriverde bench, Sebastián Viera lined up Aldo Montes in goal; Mateo Castillo, Deivi Barrios, Darwin Palomeque, and Cristian Flórez in defense; Yosimarc Torres and Jesús Espinosa in the double five, Wilfrido De La Rosa and Jairo Ditta on the flanks, and a double striker formation with Juan José Salcedo and Miguel Murillo.
From the initial whistle, the home side showed their intention: to open the scoring as quickly as possible. The clearest chances came from De La Rosa just 10 minutes into the match, but they lacked clarity in front of goal. The Bolivarense team dominated possession, battled over the opponent’s area, and found their reward just before the half-hour mark.
As is customary, Castillo reached the goal line and was brought down while maneuvering inside the area: the referee had no hesitation and awarded a penalty. Salcedo, the team’s all-time top scorer, took responsibility and calmly converted it into a goal.
The walled team, emboldened, sought to extend their lead and succeeded in the closing stages of the first half. De La Rosa won a free kick that Espinosa took, sending the ball into the area where “Pitillo” appeared once again to score and achieve his double.
After the restart, Real Cartagena opted for counterattacks, conceding the ball a bit more; meanwhile, Quindío became more involved in the match, edging closer to the home team’s area but with little clarity.
In the 67th minute, Murillo scored what would have been the third goal of the night following a great collective play, but it was ruled out for offside. Immediately after, the Cuyabro team stormed the Cartagena area, generating perhaps the biggest danger of the match, but Castillo made a great save in the small area, deflecting the ball to a corner.
In the 75th minute, Viera refreshed the offensive part of his team, bringing in Jhon Valencia and Dilmer Tobar for Murillo and Salcedo. With 10 minutes left, Covea replaced Ditta, marking the only three substitutions made by the Uruguayan. Tobar nearly scored the third goal in the final moments of the match but was met with the resistance of goalkeeper Ramiro Sánchez’s feet.
With this victory, the Heroico sits in third place with 16 points out of a possible 24, three behind leader Real Cundinamarca. Real Cartagena’s next match will be this Saturday, September 7, at 8:30 p.m., against Barranquilla FC at the Romelio Martínez Stadium in La Arenosa.