América de Cali Faces Crisis Ahead of Copa Colombia Match Against Bucaramanga

CALÍ, Colombia – América de Cali is scheduled to face Atlético Bucaramanga in the return leg of the Copa Colombia Round of 16 on Wednesday, September 3, at 5:15 PM. The team is currently struggling at the bottom of the Colombian league, having recently parted ways with head coach Gabriel Raimondi.

Raimondi’s departure came after the club’s dismal performance, which saw them win only four of the 14 matches he managed. The team is now looking to improve under interim coach Alex Escobar as they prepare to close the two-legged tie, having lost the first match 1-0.

Bucaramanga has been in better form, winning their last two league matches, including a recent victory against Pereira. Team coach Leonel Álvarez praised his squad’s resilience, stating, “The team understood that we must suffer through matches, because Pereira has very good players.”

Luciano Pons, having scored the lone goal in the first leg against América, is a key player for Bucaramanga. He will look to exploit América’s defensive struggles, especially in the absence of regulars Rodrigo Holgado and Luis Ramos, who are away on national team duty.

America’s last match resulted in a 1-0 defeat to Alianza in Valledupar, further adding to the pressure on the team and its supporters. Fans have expressed frustration as the team has not won in six consecutive matches.

As the tournament progresses, América’s focus now shifts to improving their future matches in hopes of salvaging their season.