Real Cartagena 2 - 1 Atlético Junior
Junior dominated the first fifteen minutes of the game and came close to taking the lead when Oscar Castillo was denied by a sharp save from Sebastián Viera. Junior made the break through on 13 minutes when Gonzalo Martinez headed an awkward in-swinging free kick into his own net. Midway into the first half Junior came close to extending their lead, but an excellent free kick from Colombian international Giovanny Hernandez hit the post and was cleared. Junior looked in control until Viera raised an elbow to Angelo Rodriguez as he attempted to take a high cross into the box. Viera's foul was clumsy, rather than malicious and he stayed on the field to be beaten by Oscar Castillo who dispatched the penalty confidently to the keepers left. In the second half Junior had chances to win the game; Hernandez and Luis Paez both wasted good opportunities before Donald Millán, unmarked in the six yard box, missed a glorious opportunity to put the visitors ahead. In the final minutes Junior's wastefulness was punished by a beautifully placed free kick from the edge of the box. Giovanni Hernandez took one step and curled the ball into the top left hand corner, wrong-footing Viera and winning the game for the home side.
Real Cartagena: Ricardo Santana; Hayder Palacios, Gonzalo Martínez, Pedro Tavima, Edwin Rivas; Luis Sierra, Oscar Castillo, Jhon Hernández, Donald Millán; César Arias, Angelo Rodríguez
Atlético Junior: Sebastián Viera; Jáider Romero, Daniel Briceño, Harold Macías, César Facett; Luis Narváez, Jossymar Gómez, Luis Carlos Ruiz, Giovanni Hernández; Vladamir Hernández, Luis Páez
Stadium: Jaime Morón León
Attendance: 12,000
Independiente Medellín 2 - 2 Envigado
Envigado took the lead on 12 minutes when talented playmaker Yulián Mejia sent Wilson Carpentero through on goal with a perfectly timed pass. Carpentero kept his composure as he slipped the ball to the left of the onrushing keeper, for John Córdoba to tap home from 2 yards. Medellín responded quickly, following a short corner on the left, the ball was looped into the box to be headed into the top corner by Santiago Tréllez who out-jumped Envigado defender Camilo Perez. Despite the goal Envigado remained on top and regained the lead on 27 minutes when Córdoba ran on to a through ball from midfield. From a tight angle to the right of goal the striker fired across Uruguayan goalkeeper Jimmy Schmith to put the visitors ahead. In the second half Medellín piled on the pressure but could not beat the resolute Envigado defence. Alberto Quintero replaced Santiago Tréllez for his debut, and made an instant impact. Dribbling in from the right he darted a diagonal pass with the outside of his right foot through to William Arboleda, who found himself one on one with Soto in the Envigado goal. The Panamanian was denied by an excellent save, but the ball fell to Velásquez, who volleyed into an empty net.
Independiente Medellín: Breiner Castillo; Ricardo Calle, Jorge Arias De La Hoz, Leiton Jiménez, Luis Tipton; Jhon Javier Restrepo, John Geiler Mosquero, Jonathan Estrada, Felipe Pardo; Danny Santoya, Santiago Tréllez
Envigado: Jimmy Schmith; Nelson Lemus, Andrés Orozco, Camilo Pérez, Frank Fabra; Yilmar Angulo, Jhonny Mosquera; Julian Mejía, Neider Morantes, Wilson Carpentero, John Córdoba
Stadium: Atanasio Giradot
Attendance: 18,000
Millonarios 1 - 1 Huila
Millonarios will be bitterly disappointed to have drawn a game they dominated from beginning to end. They took the lead after 16 minutes following a sustained period of domination. The goal itself was exquisite; Orlando Berrio ran from deep with the ball and when his advance was halted at the edge of the box he touched the ball to Omar Vásquez. Vásquez controlled the ball with his right foot and then cut across the ball with the outside of his left, sending the ball arcing away from the Huila keeper into the top corner. Millonarios remained on top and despite some heroic defending from the team in white, the Bogotá club always looked most likely to score. However, Millonarios' wastefulness cost them dear as Huila snatched a surprise equaliser. Milton Rodriguez dived in front of his marker to meet Daniel Boconegra's low cross from deep and send it beyond the sprawling Ramos in the Millonarios goal. Huila held firm for the remainder of the game to record a hard earned draw in the capital.
Millonarios: Nelson Ramos; Lewis Ochoa, Ignacio Iturralde, Pedro Franco, Luis Mosquera; Elkin Blanco, Juan Oritz, Omar Vásquez, Mayer Candelo; Matías Urban, Orlando Berrio
Huila: Luis Estacio; Daniel Bocanegra, John Viáfara, Jhonier González, Erwin Maturana; Camilo Ayala, Alejandro Vélez, Sebastián Hernández, Jonathan Álvarez,; Jean Carlo Blanco, Milton Rodríguez
Stadium: El Campín
Attendance: 12,000
Deportes Tolima 2 - 1 Santa Fe
Tolima took top spot earning maximum points from their first two games with this well earned home victory over Santa Fe. Carlos Alberto Preciado gave Tolima the lead as he volleyed beyond the out-rushing goalkeeper as the ball dropped towards the far post. Santa Fe equalized when Gerado Alberto curled an excellent left footed free kick into the top right hand corner. Tolima's winning goal also came from a free kick deep into the second half. Julian Hurtado met an in-swinging cross from the corner of the box to head beyond Vargas in the Santa Fe goal.
Deportivo Tolima: Antony Silva; Darío Alberto Bustos, Yair Arrechea, Julián Hurtado, Félix Noguero; Gustavo Bolívar, Juan Carlos Escobar, Cristian Marrugo, Andrés Andrade; Carlos Preciado, Robinson Ramírez
Santa Fe: Camilo Vargas; Juan Daniel Roa, Germán Centurión, Francisco Meza, Hugo Acosta; Yulián Anchico, Daniel Torres, Gerado Bedoya, Luis Carlos Arias; Omar Pérez, Diego Aroldo Cabrera
Stadium: Manuel Morillo Toro
Attendance: 11,500
Itagui 1 - 0 Atlético Nacional
Itagui will be delighted to have snatched an excellent, hard fought victory against a very strong Nacional side on Saturday. The home side took the lead when Santiago Escobar looped a supurb lob over the head of Pezzuti in the Nacional goal from 30 yards out with the side of his foot. The video below is well worth a look and the goal is a definite early contender for goal of the season. Colombian internationals Macnelly Torres and Dorlan Pabon Nacional were able to open up the Deportivo Cali defence at will in the last game, but the Itagui midfield's tireless work and excellent organisation prevented Nacional's pivotal players from taking control of the game.
Itagui: Róbinson Zapata; Carlos Arboleda, Felipe Correa, Javier López, Joe Luis Raguá; Anderson Zapata, Jhonny Vásquez, Mauricio Restrepo, Cleider Alzate; Jorge Aguirre, Efraín Viáfara
Atlético Nacional: Gastón Pezzuti; Elkin Calle, Cristian Tula, Alexis Henríquez, Juan David Valencia; Jhon Valoy, Jhersson Córdoba, Luis Fernando Mosquera, Macnelly Torres; Dorlan Pabón, Johan Fano
Stadium: Metropolitano Ditaires de Itagui
Attendance: 4,000
Deportivo Cali 2 - 1 Once Caldas
Once Caldas began the game the stronger and had the better chances in an open first half. However, it was Cali who took the lead on 39 minutes in fortuitous circumstances. Gabriel Fernandez curled a free kick into the Once Caldas box and Peralta reacted quickest when the ball was inadvertently deflected into his path by a the arm of a Caldas player. Anthony Tapia superbly curled a powerful free kick into the top right corner from 30 yards early in the second half to draw Once Caldas level. However, Cristian Nazarith was able to snatch a late winner for the home side to give them all three points. The striker, nicknamed 'the buffalo' by home fans for his strength and speed, chased a looping through-ball, beat Diego Amaya for strength and tucked the ball past Martinez at the near post. It was an impressive performance from the young striker, who recently returned to Colombia following a disappointing spell in the MLS.
Deportivo Cali: Leandro Castellanos; Diego Peralta, Camilo Ceballos, Germán Mera, Gerson Candelo, Danny Aguilar, Andrés Pérez, Gustavo Cuéllar, Gabriel Fernández; Cristian Nazarith, César Amaya
Once Caldas: Luis Enrique Martínez; Jamel Ramos, Diego Amaya, David Álvarez, Mauricio Casierra, Mario González, Avimileth Rivas, Jorge Daniel Núñez, Jair Reinoso; Guillermo Beltrán, Ayron Del Valle
Stadium: Pascual Guerrero de Cali
Attendance: 8,500
Deportes Quindío 2 - 2 Pasto
A first half, filled with chances and some highly suspect defending inexplicably ended all square. Olarte Gilberto García gave the away side the lead on 54 minutes as his powerful shot from the edge of the area was deflected beyond Cuadrado in the Quindío goal. Quindio responded quickly and within ten minutes the home side had overturned the deficit and taken the lead. The equaliser came when Vargas confidently dispatched from the penalty spot after a clumsy tackle by Pasto defender Juan Carlos Mosquera. Three minutes later Caicedo gave Quindío the lead as Pasto failed to deal with a long clearance up field. Caicedo showed great strength and composure to slot the ball beyond the outrushing Pasto keeper. Pasto scored a late equalizer as John Jairo Montaño struck an excellent shot from range to beat Antonio Otero at his near post.
Deportes Quindío: Alejandro Otero; Fabio Rodríguez, Eder Castañeda, William Tesillo, Fabio Castillo; Luis Paz, Juan Camilo Vela, Brayan Urueña, Jorge Vargas; Juan Caicedo, Olmes García
Pasto: José Fernando Cuadrado; Gilberto García, Juan Carlos Mosquera, Marino Garcíal, John Jairo Montaño; René Rosero, Carlos Giraldo, Oscar Méndez, Juan Sebastian Villota, Víctor Manuel Zapata; Edwards Jiménez
Stadium: Centenario
Attendance: 8,000
Boyacá Chicó F.C. 1 - 1 La Equidad
A closely fought match which was played behind closed doors had the feeling more of a training game for large spells. The teams most creative players were closely marked and it took until the final ten minutes for the game to spring into life. Equidad's captain Jhon Viafara struck low and hard from distance to give the away team the lead. Chicó drew level in injury time when they were awarded a soft penalty as youngster Jeysen Núñez tumbled in the box. The penalty was fired into the top corner by Edwin Móvil.
Boyacá Chicó: Carlos Abella, Pedro Pino, Mario García, Elvis Perlaza; Yeison Gordillo, Rafael Navarro, Alejandro Mahecha, Diego Chica, Edwin Móvil; Erick Correa
La Equidad: Julián Meza; Víctor Giraldo, Marco Canchila, Wilmer Díaz, Darwin Andrade; Dáger Palacios, Juan Carlos Quintero, John Viáfara, Stalin Motta; Dhawling Leudo, Mario Giménez
Stadium: Independencia
