Jonatan Álvez scores the winning goal for Junior

Jonatan Álvez, the forward who seduced Junior and led them to pay 3.5 million dollars for his services to Barcelona from Ecuador, yesterday began to justify his signing as he scored the goal that gave the victory 1-0 to the Barranquilla team against Boyacá Chicó.

The Uruguayan, who had been scoreless in the previous three games with the alternate team, and who hadn't had a chance to celebrate in a few minutes with the first team either, sealed a game marked by the defensive proposal of the rival, who didn't attack at all, and by Junior's lack of efficacy when it came to defining.

Álvez shows his scoring skills

The 'Loco', in the 30th minute of the second half, headed a precise cross from the left by Yonatan Murillo and finally beat goalkeeper Sergio Avellaneda, who had saved everything and was the star of the match. In that jump, in that header, Álvez showed that scoring goals is his specialty, and began to dispel the doubts that his signing was starting to generate for some.

From the first half, Álvez had insistently sought his goal against the Boyacá Chicó goal, but the clearest chance he had was rejected by goalkeeper Avellaneda.

Sandoval misses the opportunities

In that initial period, youth player Luis Sandoval also had two good opportunities to score, but he couldn't convert them against Avellaneda. In the first one, in a one-on-one with the Boyacá Chicó goalkeeper, he shot straight at him and in the second one, alone in front of the goal, inexplicably missed the target.

It was a game to win and that's why Alexis Mendoza included Luis Díaz for the second half, replacing Sandoval. The Guajiro gave Junior more offensive options. He dribbled, linked up with Jarlan, with Álvez, and ended up being a difficult player to mark for the opposing defense.

FINAL, WE WON! @JuniorClubSA 1 - 0 @BCHICOFCOFICIAL 🦈🦈WE ARE SHARKS, WE ARE JUNIOR!🦈🦈 #VamosJunior 🔴⚪🔵

26 de febrero de 2018

Debut of Alberto Rodríguez

Junior saw the official debut of Peruvian defender Alberto Rodríguez, but he had very little work. However, in his few interventions, he showed his quality as an international player. José Luis Chunga was also just a spectator in the match.

A revitalizing victory for Junior's alternate team, which had suffered two consecutive defeats and showed improvement in their football. Now the red-and-white team will focus on the Copa Libertadores match against Palmeiras on Thursday.

Match details

Junior 1 - Chicó 0

Junior: José Luis Chunga (6); David Murillo (5), Alberto Rodríguez (6), Jonathan Ávila (6), Yonatan Murillo (6); Luis Narváez (6), James Sánchez (6), Matías Mier (5), Jarlan Barrera (6); Luis Sandoval (5), Jonatan Álvez (7).

DT Alexis Mendoza

Substitutions: Luis Díaz (6) for Sandoval (1st half), Jorge Aguirre for Mier (19th minute of the 2nd half), Sebastián Hernández for Sánchez (32nd minute of the 2nd half)

Chicó: Sergio Avellaneda (7); Carlos Esterilla (6), José Mosquera (6), Daniel Duarte (6), Yordy Monroy (6); Juan David Díaz (5), Jhan Carlos Mora (5), Nelino Tapia (6), Óscar Balanta; Misael Riascos (5), Diego Valdés (5).

DT John Jaime Gómez

Substitutions: Jhon Arboleda (5) for Mora (1st half), Carlos Díaz (5) for J. Díaz (14th minute of the 2nd half), Mateo Palacios for Mosquera (39th minute of the 2nd half)

Goals: Álvez (30th minute of the 2nd half)

Match: Regular

Booked in Junior: Álvez, Ávila

Booked in Chicó: Mora, Duarte, Monroy

Expelled: None

Stadium: Roberto Meléndez

Attendance: 13,278 spectators

Income: $42,780,000

Referee: Leonard Mosquera (7)

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