América de Cali drew with Fortaleza and extended their good run

On a cold night in the San Fernando neighborhood, the Pascual Guerrero stadium witnessed a vibrant encounter that culminated in a 1-1 draw between América de Cali and Fortaleza, corresponding to the 12th round of the BetPlay League.

The match began with a clear offensive intent from América , who quickly made their presence felt. In the 10th minute, Duván Vergara took a corner kick that found the head of defender Daniel Bocanegra ; however, the header went wide. Four minutes later, Alexis Zapata also tried his luck from outside the box, but his shot failed to find the target.

The clearest chance of the first half came in the 19th minute, when a mistake by goalkeeper Juan Diego Castillo left Cristian Barrios with the ball at his feet. The high press from the Scarlet team had paid off, but Barrios' attempted chip went over the crossbar.

Fortaleza, for their part, didn't back down and looked to exploit the spaces on the counterattack. In the 36th minute, an attempt by the visitors was thwarted thanks to a remarkable intervention by Andrés Mosquera , who prevented his team from conceding. And so the first half ended, with América determined to change the course of the game in the second half.

The second half began with the same intensity that had characterized the Reds. In the 49th minute, Bocanegra had another chance, but his header went wide. The Scarlet momentum continued, with Duván Vergara looking for a goal in the 59th minute, although the ball went wide.

However, the situation became complicated for the home team when, in the 70th minute, Nicolás Rodríguez managed to open the scoring for Fortaleza, after taking advantage of a rebound left by goalkeeper Joel Graterol .

A penalty was awarded to the Red team in the 80th minute after a foul on Felipe Gómez. Duván Vergara took the penalty, but goalkeeper Castillo guessed correctly and saved it. Just five minutes later, another penalty was awarded to América for a foul on Holgado inside the area; however, after a VAR review, it was overturned.

In stoppage time, Barrios had a great chance with a low shot that was miraculously saved by the opposing goalkeeper, who also had the support of his defense on the line. In the 93rd minute, a penalty awarded to Fortaleza was overturned after a VAR review, leaving the tension hanging in the air.

But the story still had a twist in store. In the 91st minute, Duván Vergara , the hero of the night, eluded a defender, dribbled along the edge of the box, and fired a low shot into the net. The explosion of jubilation that followed his goal echoed throughout the Pascual Guerrero stadium, securing a draw that, while not the victory they had hoped for, felt like a much-needed relief for the Red Devils.

With this result, América reached 23 points and remains in second place in the standings. Their next challenge will be this Wednesday, October 2nd, when they face La Equidad at the Nemesio Camacho El Campín Stadium, for the second leg of the Copa BetPlay Round of 16.