Independiente Santa Fe, the Colombian club based in Bogotá, plays what may be its biggest match of the year on Tuesday, traveling to Rio de Janeiro to face Brazil’s Vasco da Gama in the second leg of their Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal. (The Sudamericana is South America’s second-tier continental club tournament, similar in stature to Europe’s Europa League.) The series is tied after a scoreless draw in Bogotá, a result that left Santa Fe’s players and fans feeling they deserved more, after several near-misses and a controversial disallowed goal.
Despite the tough away assignment, Santa Fe has reason for optimism. The team pulled off a similar comeback earlier in the competition, drawing at home against Argentina’s River Plate before winning on penalties in Buenos Aires. Head coach Pablo Repetto, who has extensive experience in international competitions, insists the tie remains wide open and says his side must be defensively solid to secure a spot in the semifinals.
Forward Hugo Rodallega, the team’s captain and top scorer, is leading the group’s push to replicate Santa Fe’s continental triumph from 2015, when the club won this very trophy. He’ll be joined in attack by in-form Uruguayan striker Franco Fagúndez, while goalkeeper Andrés Marmolejo is expected to reclaim the starting job after recovering from injury.
To read the full story in the original Spanish, visit El Tiempo.
Source: Santa Fe va por otra gesta continental: visita a Vasco en busca de la hazaña en Copa Sudamericana (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
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