Santa Fe heads to Rio unbeaten on the road, eyeing a Sudamericana semifinal berth

A scoreless draw usually doesn't say much, but when you post it on the road, and you haven't lost away from home all tournament, the picture looks different. That's the situation for Independiente Santa Fe: this Tuesday, September 15 at 5:00 p.m. (Colombia time), the club visits Vasco da Gama at the Estádio São Januário in Rio de Janeiro, with a spot in the Copa Sudamericana semifinals on the line.

The first leg at El Campín ended without goals, leaving the tie wide open. But one number tips the scale in favor of the Colombians: they haven't lost as visitors anywhere in the 2025 Sudamericana. Trace the path and it's easy to see why nobody in Bogota is afraid to play on the road.

It all started in the playoff round against Caracas FC, where the Cardenales routed their hosts 3-0 at the Estadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara, with goals from Nahuel Bustos, Ángel Figueroa (own goal) and Franco Fagúndez. Then came, perhaps, the most memorable night in the club's recent continental history: the round of 16 against River Plate. After a draw in Bogota in the first leg, Santa Fe tied 1-1 at the Monumental in Buenos Aires through 90 minutes before winning 8-7 on penalties, with goalkeeper Weimar Asprilla himself burying the decisive spot kick. Add to that a 1-0 win over Peñarol in Montevideo in the Libertadores, and the unbeaten road run stretches across multiple competitions.

On the other side, Vasco da Gama has the advantage of playing at home, along with the confidence of a 2-1 road win over Gremio in the Brasileirão, a result that eased the pressure in the relegation fight and lifted the mood of coach Pedro Emanuel.

We have to win a trophy. We're competing in two cups. It wouldn't be fair to give that up, because my group works hard and pushes for it, and it deserves that reward.Pedro Emanuel

Brazilian goalkeeper Léo Jardim was one of the standouts of the draw in Bogota, coming up with a couple of crucial saves in the closing minutes, so beating him again won't be easy. For Santa Fe, the big question mark is in goal: Andrés Mosquera has recovered from the muscle tear that sidelined him for a month, but Weimar Asprilla earned the job in his absence, allowing just one goal in three matches and delivering that heroic penalty shootout finish against River. Coach Pablo Repetto hasn't revealed who will start, though he was clear about the team's goal.

We're going there to get the ticket to Rio. We need to be at a very high level to close out the series, we need to be solid defensively.Pablo Repetto

The first semifinalist of this Sudamericana will emerge from this matchup, and both teams arrive in good spirits in their domestic leagues: Vasco picked up key points to stay afloat, and Santa Fe remains among the top eight in the Colombian league standings after beating Deportes Tolima. The unbeaten road record is a strong card for the Cardenales, but keeping it intact in Rio, against a home side also chasing a trophy, will be another story altogether.