América de Cali Faces Fluminense in Crucial Copa Match

CALÍ, Colombia — América de Cali will host Fluminense this Tuesday at Pascual Guerrero Stadium in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16. Coach Diego Gabriel Raimondi has announced a squad of 22 players, despite facing three injuries, as they aim to secure a win.

América de Cali will not have the services of several key players for this crucial matchup. Defender Éder Álvarez Balanta is out due to a groin injury sustained against Tigres. Although Balanta is recovering, he is expected to return for the next match against Deportivo Pereira. Raimondi confirmed, “Balanta is out for Tuesday, but he will be back for Thursday. Mina is fit, and Castillo might also appear against Pereira.” Midfielder Jhon Murillo is also among the injured.

As they prepare for this vital encounter, the team has remained undefeated in this year’s tournament and holds a strong home record at Pascual Guerrero. The players will look to move past recent disappointments, having drawn their last three home matches in the group stage against Corinthians, Huracán, and Racing of Montevideo.

Recently, however, América de Cali broke that streak with a confident 2-0 victory against Bahía, thanks to goals from Murillo and Yojan Garcés. This positive result followed a promising start to the second half of 2025, where they qualified for the Sudamericana and claimed four points in their first two matches of the Torneo Finalización. They also advanced to the Copa Colombia quarterfinals by defeating Tigres.

Despite this early success, América de Cali faced two consecutive losses in the Colombian league, raising concerns among fans. They suffered a 2-1 defeat against Independiente Santa Fe in Bogotá and followed that with a 1-0 loss to Deportes Tolima at home. The team’s defensive errors were pivotal in these losses, with mistakes leading directly to goals.

Raimondi has struggled to maintain a stable starting lineup due to the injuries affecting key players. Murillo, who contributed to the win over Bahía, and Dylan Borrero, who scored in a previous match against Águilas Doradas, have both missed recent games. The coach, who took charge in the second half of the season after Jorge 'Polilla' Da Silva‘s departure, has had limited time to implement his strategies while addressing these injury challenges.