Godoy Cruz returns to the Copa Libertadores this Thursday.
It is quite a revolution for Tomba fans, also excited by the good performance of their team, leader of the Professional League Cup after six games.
The draw wanted that, in qualifying Phase 2, the rival would be Colo Colo from Chile, a kind of 'classic' due to the proximity of both clubs, separated by the Andes Mountains.
The first leg scheduled for this Thursday at 9:30 p.m. at the Malvinas Argentinas stadium in Mendoza aroused a lot of interest.
Especially Chilean fans, who cannot have a closer rival for an international competition of this caliber.
GENTLEMEN, 𝑳𝑶 𝑫𝑬𝑱𝑶 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐎 🎶🏁 pic.twitter.com/BJ0u40Iurz
— Colo-Colo (@ColoColo) February 22, 2024
This, in any case, generated concern about the number of fans who will cross the borders:
it is expected that there will be more than 15 thousand Chileans
.
The Ministry of Security of Mendoza has mounted an operation to encapsulate the buses with Colo Colo fans and will double security around the stadium, with around 950 police officers.
La Garra Blanca, the most violent faction of the Colo Colo bar, caused damage to a memorial that honors those who disappeared from the Pinochet dictatorship, during the final of the Chilean Super Cup.
The match was suspended.
The security of the Libertadores meeting is a concern of the leadership of the Ministry of Security of Mendoza.
For two weeks, we have been working together with the Gendarmerie, the Chilean Investigative Police and the Chilean consulate.
"The information we have is that about 15 groups from the barra brava would come, the bosses would come by car. They would leave at night from Santiago and arrive in Mendoza at dawn on Thursday
, "
Hernán Amat
, director of Relations with the Community of Mendoza.
✈️🇦🇷 In trans-Andean land!
pic.twitter.com/VLT7NK15l3
— Colo-Colo (@ColoColo) February 21, 2024
Until this Wednesday afternoon, 10 buses crossed with Chilean Colo Colo fans.
Those who travel by bus and do not have a reserved accommodation place are directed to the beach of the Luján distillery, from where they will be guarded to the stadium.
The operation includes a search at the mountain crossing, the Crsto Redentor Los Libertadores pass.
From there, the fans travel encapsulated by police phones and motorcycles, from Uspallata to the entrance to the YPF distillery in Luján de Cuyo, 20 kilometers from the stadium.
In the first buses that arrived in Mendoza, and in private vehicles in which fans were traveling, the Mendoza Police found cocaine, marijuana, facas and other weapons.
Only one fan was deported because he had an arrest warrant and could not enter.
Of the 900 police officers assigned to the match, about 800 will be in the stadium and 150 in the surrounding streets.
Godoy Cruz's headlines
In a press conference, Godoy Cruz's coach, Daniel "Gato" Oldrá, spoke of the pressure that this event means: "The Copa Libertadores is not easy, we haven't played this tournament in 5 years and returning is super important for the institution. the growth of the club and the fans. I hope we can continue to live up to it, we must be intelligent."
Oldrá confirmed the ownership of the scorer Tomás Badaloni (he scored the winning goals against Racing) and mentioned the possible return of the figure of the winery team, Hernán López Muñoz, who is recovered from an injury.
Photo: Mariana Villa / Los Andes
López Muñoz, grandnephew of Diego Armando Maradona, retired injured in the third round victory against Lanús.
The midfielder suffered a grade 2 muscle injury in the femoral biceps of his right leg and this week he returned to training with the team.
"If all the conditions are met, Hernán will go from the beginning," said Oldrá.
And he clarified that, in any case, "we are going to resolve it with the doctor, since he had a couple of days left to complete the recovery stipulated in the beginning."
If López Muñoz is confirmed, the Tomba formation would be: with Franco Petroli, Martín Luciano, Pier Barrios, Federico Rasmussen and Manuel Guillén;
Juan Andrada, Roberto Fernández and Hernán López Muñoz;
Juan Bautista Cejas, Tomás Conechny and Tomás Badaloni.
Colo Colo with Arturo Vidal
The Chilean team arrived at 5:00 p.m. this Wednesday at El Plumerillo airport, in the city of Mendoza.
And by bus he went to the Diplomatic hotel, on Belgrano street.
Before leaving, the coach of Colo Colo, the Argentine Jorge Almirón (former coach of Boca Juniors) recognized the good present of the rival Godoy Cruz, a team he knows because he also coached in 2013.
Photo: EFE/ Osvaldo Villarroel
“I don't see that we are favorites.
They have been having a very good campaign, they are a very physical team, they are understanding each other very well,” said Almirón.
Although the coach of the caciques did not confirm the team, Arturo Vidal is expected to be one of the starters.
Regarding the great figure of Chilean football, Gato Oldrá said: "We know that he is a great player, he has grown in football in Europe and has a different plus. We will try to complicate Vidal and the entire team, which has a great coach like Almirón."
The Chilean team would take the field with the following formation: Brayan Cortés, Óscar Opazo, Alan Saldivia, Maximiliano Falcón and Erick Wiemberg;
Vidal, Esteban Pávez and Gil;
Cristián Zavala, Damián Pizarro and Palacios.