Santa Fe almost achieved a miracle and drowned on the shore: eliminated from the Copa Libertadores; the goals

Santa Fe performed a miracle when everything seemed lost, taking the series against Deportes Iquique to penalty kicks. And there they suffocated due to a lack of aim. They missed four of the five attempts and thus, were left out of a Copa Libertadores that only lasted 180 minutes.

Santa Fe had to start rowing from far behind, because another blow was added to the 2-1 from the first leg: just six minutes into the game, the defense fell asleep after a short rebound from goalkeeper Andrés Mosquera Marmolejo and Stefan Pino scored the 0-1 for Deportes Iquique.

Ewil Murillo again made it one goal ahead with a tremendous shot from mid-distance that bounced off the ground before surprising goalkeeper Leandro Requena and going in. The Santa Fe fans let off steam in a shout at minute 14.

But from there, Santa Fe suffered. It lacked creativity and coach Pablo Peirano's idea of ​​bringing in Edwar López in place of Harold Santiago Mosquera, seeking more collective play, did not work out at all.

Furthermore, Deportes Iquique almost took the lead again at Techo in the last play of the first half. Pino slipped and was unable to connect with a new rebound, when he had the goal in front of him and no one was marking him...

The ball was Santa Fe's property, but the aim was lost along the way. Peirano ended up taking off López to bring on Omar Albornoz and Mosquera appeared on the field in the last half hour, replacing Murillo, as did Angelo Rodríguez, who replaced Omar Frasica. And the Chileans, with their skill, dedicated themselves to letting the clock run out.

There was desperation on the pitch and there was an incident near the end of the game that could have ended badly: Edson Puch was on the verge of attacking a ball boy, who ended up running towards the changing room while Hugo Rodallega blocked his way. The referee settled the matter amicably, with yellow cards for both players.

Peirano's team cannot be denied that they always tried: they made 29 shots, 14 of them on goal. They came close to a miracle at the end of the game: in the second minute of the eight minutes of injury time, Mosquera hit the post. And they did it in the seventh, after a cross from Lucas Ríos, Christian Camilo Mafla put his head in and took the series to penalty kicks.

All the effort Santa Fe made during the match seemed to be lost in the first shot: Omar Albornoz shot the first one out. But Mosquera Marmolejo left everything the same and stopped the shot from Víctor Dávila, in a shot that was going very far to the center and he managed to stop it with the wrong hand.

Ríos, who had provided the assist for the 2-1, hit the ball with a good position but without any force, and Requena saved the shot. And Salinas did not forgive: he broke Marmolejo's goal and gave the Chilean team the lead.

Angelo Rodríguez hit it hard and to the left of the goalkeeper to score Santa Fe's first goal. And César Fuentes, in Deportes Iquique's third shot, almost sent the ball to Mundo Aventura: he slipped and put his foot underneath the ball.

Daniel Torres, the symbol of Santa Fe, hit the ball very badly and also sent it over the goal. And Bryan Soto did not waste the opportunity to put his team back in front: he hit it hard and high.

Everything was left in the feet of Hugo Rodallega, who had lit the illusion in Iquique. Jorquera extinguished it, when he saved the fifth shot. The Chileans are still in the Libertadores and Santa Fe is chewing through a giant failure.