Colo Colo confirms Monumental will host O'Higgins this Sunday at 5:30 PM

The scare lasted barely 24 hours. On Friday, Blanco y Negro president Aníbal Mosa himself had cast doubt on whether the Monumental would be ready to host O'Higgins this Sunday, even hinting at a backup plan to shift the home match to the Estadio Nacional. In the end, the Macul pitch passed the test.

This Saturday, following an inspection of the playing field that included head coach Fernando Ortiz, the club confirmed the Liga de Primera match will go ahead as originally scheduled at its own stadium, this Sunday at 5:30 PM.

So what changed in a single day? The weather, honestly, didn't. Rain kept falling over Santiago through Saturday, and the Monumental pitch is still far from its best condition. What changed was the assessment: the coaching staff and club management decided that sporting considerations outweighed the comfort of a perfect surface.

The club continues working against the clock on maintenance and turf repairs, trying to get the field into shape to withstand the wear of a match despite the accumulated moisture. The pitch isn't expected to look its best, but the club didn't consider its condition reason enough to give up home field advantage against a direct rival in the standings.

A Plan B left on the shelf

The option of playing at the Nacional was never fully formalized, though Mosa left it hanging when he spoke of damage caused by the weather. Relocating a match at the last minute is no small matter: it involves logistics, tickets already sold and a level of disruption Colo Colo preferred to avoid once there was room to try otherwise.

With the Friday-to-Saturday inspection as the turning point, the decision was settled. Colo Colo will host O'Higgins at the Monumental, on a pitch that won't be perfect but that, according to the club itself, will be fit to stage the match.

Now the focus shifts to the football itself. Ortiz will have to plan for a match on a heavy field, a factor that could shape the style of play both teams bring to Macul this Sunday.