An image at the end of the first half in front of Olimpia caught our attention. It was the one from Sebastian Gomez haranguing his colleagues and scolding them because he knew they hadn’t done things right.
His grimace, of rage and impotence, was the one that many fans had in the stands, who hope that this Sunday (8:15 pm) things will be different and they can celebrate with a big smile in the Antioquia classic.
Little by little Sebastián, at 25 years of age, is becoming one of the leaders of the green team, and he does not lack character, because he forged it as a child in the Andalucía La Francia neighborhood of Comuna 2 of Medellín.
For this reason, for the critical moment that Nacional is experiencing, and facing this match at the Atanasio Girardot stadium against their hometown rival, they need to infect the group with their attitude.
“We are not giving one hundred percent and each one should be reviewed,” Gómez said in the run-up to this game.
Coming from below has allowed him to learn that things are achieved with effort and sacrifice, that nothing is free.
“With my profession I try to give my family what we didn’t have before: a better quality of life. I don’t want to say that before we didn’t value what little we had, only that now it is better. I live in a quieter place, next to my parents and siblings. Being someone else I could have gone to live alone, but we are a united family. This is how this midfielder wants to see Nacional, more united than ever to get out of this crisis that has not allowed him to regain the international prominence that he had in 2016, when they were champions of the Libertadores.
However, winning a classic would be the ideal boost to regain confidence and stay at the top of the League, whose title they aspire to after five years of disappointment (the last time they achieved it was in 2017).
Sebastián is a man of faith, that which his wife María Camila helped him cultivate, who always insists that he be calm, that God’s times are perfect and that for him has been an impetus to move forward. He has the support of his entire family and that is fundamental.
He knows that due to his age, and if he does not suffer any serious injury, he still has many goals to fulfill in football, but his vision goes further. He wants to study Sports Training to help the children of his community and that is why he already has a soccer school in the neighborhood.
“It seems to me that sport saves lives. They may not all be professional footballers because it’s not easy, but I would like to guarantee that they are good people and don’t pick up vices”.
He understands the discomfort of the green fans for what happened with the team, because before being a player he considers himself one more fan. In addition, he finds his biggest critics in his brothers: Santiago, who is from the De Los Del Sur bar and is the one who criticizes him the most, but also encourages him. The other is Felipe, who is also a footballer, just like his sister.
“We have pressure every day and more in a team like Nacional and at a time when we haven’t won a league title. I’ve been here for several years and I’ve learned to deal with that pressure. The player who is in Nacional knows that you have to go out to win, run and leave everything for the shirt”. He added that not yet having a technician on property is not an excuse. “We are the only ones responsible and the ones who can reverse this situation.”
Against Medellín they will have a new opportunity to reconcile with the fans and achieve a victory that restores their confidence.
Arregui, a key player in Comesaña
Adría Arregui has become a key player in the midfield of Independiente Medellín at the start of the Betplay 1-2022 League and it is expected that he will also be this Sunday in the paisa classic against Atlético Nacional, which will take place at 8:15 pm at the Atanasio Girardot stadium.
Arregui knows that the scarlet debt, at this start of the season, is as a visitor, and what better way to settle it than with a victory against the hometown rival, who will act as a local.
The midfielder has participated in all the DIM games this semester, which reflects the importance he has in this process. The Argentine has played 744 minutes in this championship and in six of the nine matches that the red cast has had in this League, he has performed from start to finish, except against Tolima (45′), Atlético Junior (85′) and Águilas Doradas (75′).
In addition to the outstanding performances he has had in League 1, in which his dedication on the field has stood out, is added the great goal he scored in the previous game against Rionegro, in which the King of Hearts won 4-0.
Precisely, the emotion that Arregui exhibits in celebrating the goals is a reflection of the love that the player has for this institution, which he arrived at in 2019. It also shows the passion with which he lives the matches, which is even more noticeable in the regional classics, which he faces with the character and personality of the Argentine soccer player.
DIM, with high morale
The win he achieved on the ninth day has Julio Avelino Comesaña and his team in high spirits ahead of the regional duel number 324, for all competitions.
Although for logistics and box office purposes he will be a visitor, in Medellín there is an environment of positivism due to the results that he has achieved this semester at the Atanasio, where he has a perfect score as a result of the victories against Deportes Tolima (1-0), Deportivo Cali ( 2-0), Cortuluá (3-1), Atlético Junior (2-0) and Águilas Doradas (4-0).
“The classics have a different seasoning than other games and it is emotion, which plays an important role because they are two teams from the city, with great popular roots and great convening power,” said Comesaña.
In the DIM they do not want to be distracted by the rarefied atmosphere that the rival brings, that the previous Thursday was eliminated by Olimpia, in phase 2 of the Copa Libertadores, especially since in the League they are quite even. Green adds 17 points, while Red accumulates 15.
“Each one plays their own, we are trying to stabilize ourselves, to take another step forward, while Nacional is trying to get out of a moment of uncertainty. These are two very important clubs and that is why this meeting awakens, in some way, a kind of curiosity”, added the Colombo-Uruguayan strategist.
The Red with a lot at stake
In this meeting the People’s Team, like their opponent, has a lot at stake. If he obtains the three points, he would be great, as he would reach 18, surpass his rival in the rankings and could even be less than a game behind the lead.
Beyond this fact, which surely has a high importance for the fan, winning would be an important emotional incentive for his debut in the Copa Sudamerica, a competition in which he will debut next week.
In the continental competition, DIM will compete with América de Cali in the first round. On Wednesday, at 7:30 pm, they will host the Red Devils, and eight days later they will face them at the Pascual Guerrero, where it will be decided who will advance to the group stage.
