Leopards and opists jumped onto the field at the Alfonso López stadium with the aim of achieving victory, as both teams in contention were looking to enter the top eight, at the end of matchday 15 of the I-2018 league.
The referee's whistle would sound and only 21 seconds would pass before Atlético Huila scored the first goal, through Edwar López, who headed the ball into the left hand post of Ojeda, to make it one-nil in favor of the visiting team.
Now, Atlético Bucaramanga after conceding a goal took control of the game and opened the field on the flanks, generating three goal-scoring opportunities that they couldn't convert. Meanwhile, Huila, a well-organized defensive rival, waited for their opponent to protect the lead.
The first half would end with a one-nil lead for Huila, who managed the rhythm of the game and the one-goal advantage. On the other hand, Atlético Bucaramanga, although they maintained possession of the ball, couldn't convert in the visitors' goal.
In the second half, Atlético Huila would waste a clear chance to increase the score, through Amaya, after a poor clearance by goalkeeper Ojeda. Meanwhile, Bucaramanga would try again by gathering men in the middle of the field and opening the field on the flanks to generate offensive volume, but without a decisive finish in the final quarter of the pitch.
At the midpoint of the second half, Atlético Huila regrouped with two lines of four, waiting for their rival and resorting to counterattacks as a strategy in attack. The Leopard team would rely on first-time passes to penetrate the resilient defense of the visiting team, combined with Banguera's excellent performance, which would be decisive in keeping a clean sheet.
The match would end with a victory for Atlético Huila, a cohesive and tactically disciplined team that managed the result and confused their rival. On the other hand, Atlético Bucaramanga found a goalkeeper like Banguera, who had an excellent night, while the auriverde team repeated crosses as their offensive strategy. A defeat that leaves the Leopard team in a precarious position in the league standings, significantly reducing their chances of qualifying among the top eight.
Synthesis
Atlético Bucaramanga 0 - Atlético Huila 1
Atlético Bucaramanga: Luis Ojeda (6), Harold Gómez (6), Marlon Torres (6), Martín González (6), Fabio Rodríguez (5), Brayan Rovira (5), Gabriel Gómez (6), Jhoan Caballero (5), Jhon Pérez (6), Sherman Cárdenas (5), and Michael Rangel (5).
Coach: Diego Cagna.
Atlético Huila: Geovanni Banguera (8), Elvis Perlaza (6), Andrés Correa (5), Eddie Segura (6), Carlos Ramírez (6), Michael Ordóñez (6), José Leudo (6), Andrés Amaya (6), Mayer Candelo (5), Edwar López (6), and Deyman Cortés (6).
Coach: Néstor Craviotto.
Match: Good.
Atlético Bucaramanga Goals: None.
Huila Goals: López (1st half).
Atlético Bucaramanga Substitutions: Franco Arizala (5) for Caballero (9th second half), Harrison Mojica for Harold Gómez (23rd second half), and Juan Jiménez for Gabriel Gómez (37th second half).
Huila Substitutions: Juan Rodríguez (5) for Cortés (1st second half), Jorge Ramos for Candelo (31st second half), and Franco Boló for Amaya (37th second half).
Atlético Bucaramanga Expulsions: None.
Huila Expulsions: None.
Atlético Bucaramanga Bookings: Rodríguez (13th second half).
Huila Bookings: Ramírez (8th first half), Banguera (22nd second half), Perlaza (33rd second half), and López (44th second half).
Detail: In four matches, Atlético Bucaramanga has been unable to defeat Huila since their promotion to the top category.
Player of the Match: Giovanni Banguera, Atlético Huila goalkeeper (8).
Stadium: Alfonso López.
Attendance: Approximately 5,000 spectators.
Box Office: Not provided.
Referee: Luis Sánchez (7).
JULIÁN CARREÑO
For EL TIEMPO
Bucaramanga.