Correa finally beats Universidad de Chile in the 200th superclasico, lifting Colo Colo to victory

Javier Correa had been carrying a thorn in his side: he had never scored against Universidad de Chile in a superclasico. That drought ended right on the 200th edition of Chilean soccer's oldest rivalry, and with a big reward attached, since his goal gave Colo Colo a 2-1 victory at Estadio Nacional.

The setting was no small detail. The Ñuñoa venue was occupied solely by blue fans, a result of the security measures put in place by authorities for this match. Roughly 40,000 people watched the Colo Colo faithful, known as "albos," take home all three points in an atmosphere that, according to Colo Colo's own leadership, was not without tension around the access points.

ByN concession chairman Anibal Mosa came down to the field and did not hide his satisfaction at the final whistle. Still, he kept his feet on the ground, because the schedule shows no mercy: just three days later, on Wednesday, Colo Colo had to turn its attention to the Copa Chile against Union Espanola.

The team put in a really good performance. It was a very important match for us, but we have to stay focused on what's coming up on Wednesday.Anibal Mosa

Mosa also spoke about his arrival at the Nacional's VIP box, a walk that in past clasicos had sparked the occasional incident. This time, he said, everything went smoothly.

We didn't have any problems getting into the box, just the chants and that sort of thing, but everything was normal.Anibal Mosa

Correa, the difference-maker Colo Colo needed

Beyond the result, what the club official highlighted was the character shown by the squad in a match that carried all the pressure of a clasico played away from home, without their own fans in the stands, and with a mandate to win. That's where Correa stepped up to tip the balance, backed by Maximiliano Romero, another name Mosa brought up when discussing the pieces that make a difference on this roster.

Those are the kind of players we have who make the difference, just like Maxi (Romero) and plenty of others. We're leaving very happy today.Anibal Mosa

The win also stretched Colo Colo's lead atop the table to 13 points over the second-place club. That's a considerable gap at this stage of the tournament, but Mosa chose to handle it with caution, avoiding premature celebrations or any letdown with the rest of the season still to play.

We have to take it slow, step by step. Celebrating too much sometimes isn't right, so once the trophy is on the table, that's when we can celebrate.Anibal Mosa

With Correa's goal, Colo Colo adds another chapter to its long rivalry with Universidad de Chile and, in the process, claims the result of a superclasico that, given the symbolism of the round number and the context in which it was played, will stick in the memory of both fan bases.