Striker Aims for Record in Copa Match Against Unión Española

Santiago, Chile — On April 9, 2025, Once Caldas will face Unión Española in a critical Copa match that could see their star striker extend his historic scoring record.

Following an impressive performance against América in Manizales, where he netted two goals, the forward, now boasting 353 career goals, will look to add to that tally in this continental tournament.

“We’ve been playing consecutive matches and have shown we can maintain the pace. Our game against Fluminense was a testament to that,” said the striker, who is supported on the wings by Jefry Zapata and Michael Barrios.

After a disappointing opening loss at home, Once Caldas has gained momentum over the past two weeks and showed potential against Brazilian side Fluminense, where they registered 20 shots—six on target, three more than their opponents.

Coach Moreno emphasized the team’s goal-oriented approach: “We have two tournaments to pursue. We aim to confirm our strong performance against Fluminense when we head to Chile for three crucial points, restoring confidence that we are going all out with this team.”

Unión Española, however, faces challenges of its own as they come off a recent draw against Gualberto Villarroel San José in La Paz. Struggling at home, they’ve secured only one victory this season and sit second to last in their league, tallying just three points from five matches.

Defensively, Unión Española has shown weaknesses, conceding 10 goals while managing to score just five. This creates a notable advantage for Once Caldas’ leading scorer.

The match is scheduled to begin at 19:30 at the Sausalito Stadium in Chile, where Unión Española will field a lineup that includes Torgnascioli, Espinoza, Díaz, Vidal, Ramírez, Marín, Nadruz, Aránguiz, Carvallo, Uribe, and Geraldino. Once Caldas will counter with Aguirre, Cuesta, Cardona, Malagón, Patiño, García, Rojas, Zapata, García, Barrios, and Moreno.