The blue team (Universidad de Chile) thrashed the Chiefs (Cacique) 4 – 0 and reversed the first-leg 0-2 loss at Monumental Stadium, advancing to the finals of the Apertura tournament against O’Higgins.
Source: Emol
Translated to English
by Thomas Jerome Baker
SANTIAGO. – University of Chile again demonstrated it is having one of the best moments in its history. The blue team reversed the 0-2 semifinal round of the Apertura tournament with Colo Colo and thrashed its derby opponent 4-0 on Sunday at the National Stadium.
The goals for Jorge Sampaoli’s squad were the work of Angelo Henriquez (6 ‘) and Junior Fernandes with a hat-trick (20′, 81 ‘and 89′).
Thus, the blue squad will face O’Higgins of Rancagua in the final to win the Apertura and get the first tri-championship in its history in Chilean football.
The development of the game was marked by the early goal of Henriquez at the 6 minute mark, who took advantage of a lazy defensive error and got behind Renny Vega’s resistance to open the scoring.
After the first goal, La U started driving through the actions and Fernandes, the star of the evening, with a header made it 2-0 after a horrible defensive effort by the Venezuelan keeper, Renny Vega.
Colo Colo attempted a reaction, but without playing football convincingly and aided by the nervousness of the blue U de Chile squad, who had to defend their lead in the match. The clearest chance was at 39′, when Roberto Gutierrez missed just under the arch when Herrera was beaten, and the match went to the break with La U holding on to a 2-0 advantage.
The second period was full of nerves on both sides with the indecision of the winners of the tie. The Cacique pushed forward with more courage than football and La U was trying to bet on the counter attack to settle everything and achieved their aim by this route.
At 81′came a long ball to Junior Fernandes, who took advantage of the poorly positioned Colo Colo defense (practically given away as a Christmas present to Junior), entered on the left side and drove the ball to the far post to secure the victory and the semi-final matchup with the 3-0 strike.
After the 89′ it was the same Junior, who took a loose ball in the area after a shot by Marcelo Vega Diaz and shot it through the heart of the Colo Colo side to set the final margin of victory at 4-0 for Jorge Sampaoli’s Universidad de Chile squad…
In addition, the evident despair of the Cacique side ended with the expulsion of Mauro Olivi (84′) and Gonzalo Fierro (88′) by Referee Henry Osses.
To sum up, La U deserved the classification which killed the match at the right times and again proved their aspiration credentials to the Apertura title with the diorganised and desperate Colo Colo squad of Luis Perez, who clearly regretted the absence of Esteban Paredes, its star and captain.
Now University of Chile will play the final against O’Higgins. On Thursday 28 the first match will be in Rancagua, (who surprisingly and unexpectedly ousted the Union Española squad) at 16:00 hours on Monday 2 in National Stadium at 15:30.
La U is in the hunt for its first three-peat national crown in their history, while the Celeste squad of Rancagua will play an unprecedented final in its history, themselves chasing after a historic first championship star…
