Lucas González Brings Starters to Fort Lauderdale Two Days Before Copa BetPlay Clash With Deportivo Cali

A friendly on US soil has unintentionally turned into a headache for Lucas González. Atlético Nacional travels to Fort Lauderdale to face América de Cali this Saturday, September 5 at 6:30 p.m. (Colombia time), and the schedule that follows is complicating things for the Nacional coach.

Here's the situation: just two days after this match, on Monday night, Nacional hosts Deportivo Cali in the Copa BetPlay, a fixture that carries real weight for a team with no international competition to occupy it this season. That raises the obvious question: is it worth risking the starters in a preseason friendly against the FPC leader, knowing that Sunday will leave just one full day of recovery before the Cali match?

The curious part is that Lucas González's decision doesn't seem to be about protecting legs. The coach called up 20 players for the trip, and the list includes undisputed heavyweights like Marlos Moreno, Cardona, Rengifo and Arango, among other regular starters. In other words, a good chunk of the first-choice lineup will log minutes in the United States before diving headfirst into the physical demands of the Copa BetPlay.

On the other side, David González, América de Cali's coach, had already hinted that this "exhibition" match isn't among his team's priorities, which makes sense considering the scarlet squad is also juggling its own FPC schedule, where it currently sits atop the standings.

Nacional's Call-Up List

For this match, Lucas González brought along two goalkeepers: Marquínez and Armani. In defense will be Haydar, Casco, Reyes, Román, González and Velásquez. The midfield is made up of Cardona, Rengifo, Zapata, Marín, Uribe and Rojas, while up front the options include Arango, Morelos, Sarmiento, Rosa, Poveda and Moreno.

The roster makes clear this is no simple training session in front of a crowd. With nearly the entire squad available on the field, the lingering question is how much real playing time Lucas will give his key men in Fort Lauderdale before turning his attention to Monday's rematch against Cali.

For those looking to watch live, the match between América de Cali and Atlético Nacional will air through Disney+'s Premium Plan, available exclusively in South American territory.