Santa Fe seeks at the Monumental what few Colombian clubs have achieved

A scoreless draw at El Campin left the series wide open. That result means Santa Fe now has to do something very few Colombian teams have ever managed: get a positive result out of the Monumental de Nunez. This Wednesday, August 26, at 7:30 p.m. (Colombia time), the Cardinals will fight for a spot in the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals against River Plate, in one of the stadiums where Colombian soccer has suffered more than its share of pain.

The field isn't entirely foreign to Santa Fe. In fact, the club holds a distinction no other Colombian side can match in terms of recent history: in 2018, during the Copa Libertadores group stage, the "Lion" drew 0-0 at the Monumental. That result remains, to this day, the only point Santa Fe has ever picked up in Buenos Aires against the Millonarios. The club's other two visits ended badly: a 4-0 rout in 1967 and a 2-1 loss in the second leg of the 2016 Recopa Sudamericana, a result that handed River the title after a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Bogota.

An exclusive club

Winning in Nunez is no everyday feat for a Colombian team. Only three clubs have ever pulled it off. The first was Deportivo Cali, which won 2-1 on April 21, 1981, in a match where Mario Kempes had put River ahead before Romero, from the penalty spot, and Willington Ortiz flipped the scoreline.

Almost twenty years later came another milestone: Atletico Nacional beat River 3-2 on April 20, 2000, during the Libertadores group stage, going up by two goals thanks to strikes from Elkin Calle and Neider Morantes. River clawed back with goals from Javier Saviola and Victor Zapata, but Jorge Agudelo, also from the penalty spot, sealed the win for the "Verdolaga."

The most recent Colombian victory at the Monumental belongs to Independiente Medellin, in 2017, with goals from John Hernandez and Andres Mosquera in a 2-1 final score, though that result wasn't enough for DIM to advance to the Libertadores quarterfinals.

The overall history doesn't help

Looking at the full history between the two clubs in Conmebol competitions, the balance clearly favors the Argentines. Before this matchup, Santa Fe and River had faced off eight times, with four wins for the Millonarios and four draws. River, in fact, remains unbeaten in the series.

With that backdrop, Pablo Repetto knows speculation won't be enough. The draw in Bogota gives Santa Fe a chance to repeat the feat of 2018, but this time the goal is different: a win wouldn't just send the "Lion" through to the quarterfinals, it would also place the club in the select group of Colombian teams capable of winning at River's home ground.