Colo Colo Held to 1-1 Draw by Deportes Concepción After Own Goal

An odd own goal, an emotional tribute, and once again the feeling that Colo Colo let two points slip away on home turf. Fernando Ortiz's side dominated from start to finish at Estadio Monumental, but ended up settling for a 1-1 draw against Deportes Concepción that felt like a missed opportunity in matchday 23 of the Liga de Primera.

Before kickoff, the Monumental rose to its feet for a tribute to Croatian coach Mirko Jozic, the man behind the 1991 Copa Libertadores triumph, who arrived alongside several of his former players and received a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd.

Once play got underway, there was extra intrigue: Colo Colo hosted a Deportes Concepción side that needs points to climb into Copa Sudamericana contention, and did so without key names like Arturo Vidal, Javier Correa, Joaquín Sosa, and goalkeeper Gabriel Maureira, who was replaced by Cape Verdean keeper Vozinha.

An Early Blow That Changed the Script

The African goalkeeper, who drew attention at the last World Cup, had to react quickly: he first came up big on a chance in the 5th minute, but then hesitated coming out to cut off a cross into the box. That's when Norman Rodríguez pounced, beating Diego Ulloa in the air to make it 1-0 for the visitors from Concepción.

With the lead in hand, Deportes Concepción dropped back and handed the ball to Colo Colo. The home side pushed and pushed, but struggled badly to create real danger: only two half-chances, in the 27th and 29th minutes, tested goalkeeper Nicolás Araya.

The second half told a different story. Colo Colo took full control of possession and pinned its opponent back in its own box, though it still lacked that final touch to seriously threaten the visiting goal.

The equalizer didn't arrive until the 77th minute, and in the strangest of fashions. Francisco Marchant whipped in a cross from the left that deflected off a defender. Just as it looked like Araya would collect it calmly, Fernando Martínez stepped in unnecessarily and ended up shoving the ball into his own net: 1-1, the final score.

Not even a late push was enough for Colo Colo to grab the win. El Cacique stays on 54 points, 12 clear of its closest pursuers, Universidad Católica and Universidad de Chile, a gap that remains comfortable despite the stumble. Deportes Concepción, meanwhile, sits eighth with 31 points, still fighting for a spot in international competition.

With the league on pause, both teams now turn their attention to the Copa Chile: Colo Colo will face Audax Italiano, while Deportes Concepción takes on Curicó Unido in the round of 16.