Colombian side Independiente de Santa booked themselves a Copa Sudamericana quarter-final against spot last night, thrashing Brazilian club Botafogo 4-1 in a match that would be held up for more than three minutes when a stray dog wandered onto the field of play.
Oscar Rodas put the hosts ahead after just two minutes, meeting Omar Pérez’s neat square to slide the ball into an empty net from 12 yards.
35 year-old Perez then doubled his side’s lead just five minutes later, controlling Jonathan Copete’s through ball before expertly firing his shot past a helpless Jefferson in the Botafogo goal. Things went from bad to worse on the stroke of half time as Leo inexplicably hammered the ball in off the underside of his own crossbar to put the Colombians three up.
With domestic competition building to a thrilling crescendo, Botafogo are still well in the hunt for the Brasileirao title – they currently sit third, just five points behind leaders Vasco – and coach Caio Junior elected to rest some of his key players.
“[The decision to] Select a mixed team is implicit because it has been 16 years without the Brasileirao for Botafogo.,” said Junior. “We have to think this way and seek Libertadores [qualification] first and then the title.”
The clearly exacerbated coach went on to lament the calendar of both the Sudamericana and the domestic state championships in Brazil. “The Sudamericana has to be played on the same dates as the Copa Libertadores,” he said. “The State championships are also wrong – they can not begin Jan. 21. How can we be expected to prepare well?”
Rodas grabbed his second, and Independiente’s fourth, on the hour mark with superbly struck shot that flew into the top corner of Jefferson’s goal.
Botafogo’s misery as compounded minutes later when a stray dog entered the field and managed to evade capture for more than three minutes. Alex Oliveira grabbed a consolation for the Brazilians with four minutes remaining.
Santa Fe will now face reigning Argentinian champions Velez in the quarter finals, and coach Wilson Gutierrez is confident his side are up to the challenge.
“I believe in the group and they believe in themselves, which is the most important things,” he told Colombian Television after the final whistle. “This group is very strong and still has more to give.”
