Once Caldas Bids for Sudamericana Win Against San José

LA PAZ, Bolivia — Once Caldas is set to face San José on Tuesday, April 22, in the third round of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana group stage. The match will take place at the Hernando Siles Stadium, located at an elevation of 3,600 meters.

The team from Manizales is looking for a victory that would enhance their chances of direct qualification. After a recent away win against Unión Española, Once Caldas is currently second in Group F with three points, trailing Fluminense.

In stark contrast, San José sits at the bottom of the group with only one point, struggling under a series of consecutive defeats, including a 5-0 loss to Fluminense in Brazil. Gualberto Villarroel‘s squad is under pressure to turn their fortunes around.

Although Once Caldas faced a setback in the Colombian league recently, they were riding a four-match unbeaten run prior to that defeat. Coach ‘El Arriero’ Herrera opted to limit the playing time of key player Dayro Moreno in preparation for this critical matchup. “I have to manage the team’s energy. We need to win in Bolivia to keep our hopes for qualification alive,” he stated.

Once Caldas arrived in Bolivia and plans to train in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, only making their way to La Paz a few hours before the match.

Possible lineups for the match include: San José’s Poveda, Bustos, Seimandi, Villamil, Ríos, Vargas, Galindo, Cabrera, Calero, Becerra, and Ribera. For Once Caldas: Aguirre, Cuesta, Cardona, Malagón, Patiño, M. García, Rojas, Zapata, A. García, Barrios, and Dayro.