Once Caldas took all three points at the Estadio Metropolitano de Teco, seeing off Fortaleza 2-1 in the Clausura round eight of the Primera A. The visitors had already gone ahead before half-time when J. A. Zapata Ramirez struck in the 41st minute, but S. Navarro had pulled one back for the hosts just before that in the 27th. By then the visitors had shown more intent, and their return goal would prove decisive.
The match turned sharp after the break. Fortaleza won a yellow card against S. Navarro in the 56th minute, but the tide shifted in the 61st when J. Solis was sent off. Once Caldas had already made changes — E. Torres came on in the 46th, T. Wilke in the 54th — and A. Correa followed in the 62nd, just after the dismissal. The hosts tried to respond but found no answer.
And here's the thing about the statistics. Once Caldas registered 101 attacks to Fortaleza's 73, while their expected goals of 1.49 contrasted with the hosts' 0.45. The visitors took 18 shots compared to four from the hosts, and their possession sat at 56 per cent. Fortaleza had more clearances and goal kicks, a sign of being under pressure, but the red card in the 61st minute changed the shape of the contest.
Once Caldas sealed the result when D. Moreno scored in the 82nd minute. The hosts made three substitutions in the 84th minute — S. Navarro, J. Blanco and S. Vivas — but it was too late. The visitors had kept their composure after Solis's dismissal and punished the hosts when it mattered.
The result keeps Once Caldas in fifth place on 33 points from 19 games, while Fortaleza remain in 15th with 22 points. The visitors had drawn their last two matches and lost one in their previous five, but this win extended their unbeaten run. Fortaleza, meanwhile, had failed to score in two of their last three outings and now cannot afford another slip.
