The friendly match between Sporting Cristal and Tolima is being played with great intensity from the initial whistle, as the home team already had their first injury at the Alberto Gallardo stadium. Alejandro Duarte had to be substituted after seven minutes of play after being hurt in a collision with forward Brayan Gil.
It all started with a through pass to Gil, who was left one-on-one with Duarte due to a miscalculation by the Sporting Cristal defenders. In his attempt to protect his goal, the 28-year-old goalkeeper collided his shoulder and head with Tolima's player's body, leaving him lying on the field.
After that, the players from the home team went to assist their teammate. Tiago Nunes' coaching staff didn't hesitate for a second and quickly sent in Emile Franco. At the moment, the match is very even and neither team has found comfort in controlling the actions.
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What's next for Sporting Cristal after the 'Tarde Celeste'
After this match for the 'Tarde Celeste', Sporting Cristal will have a week of training to prepare for their debut in the 2023 Opening Tournament. Tiago Nunes' team will face Academia Deportiva Cantolao at the Alberto Gallardo stadium on Saturday, January 21st at 3:00 p.m.
With the goal of fighting for the national title at the end of the year - which has eluded them since 2020 - the 'Rimenses' want to start this season on the right foot and regain the crown of Peruvian football. Additionally, another objective of the team is to excel at the international level.
For several years now, Sporting Cristal has been unable to advance past the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, and now the challenge will be even greater, as they will first have to defeat the winner of the match between Sport Huancayo and Nacional de Paraguay to progress to that stage. The fans of the 'celeste' team are eagerly waiting.
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