CONMEBOL postpones River-Santa Fe first leg after Colombia earthquakes; Bogotá club insists on home venue

CONMEBOL has postponed the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 between River Plate and Independiente Santa Fe, originally scheduled for Wednesday, after earthquakes struck Colombia. The two legs will now be played on August 19 and 26, according to Argentine outlet Olé, and Santa Fe president Eduardo Méndez has already made his club’s position clear: the match should stay in Bogotá.

Why the tie was pushed back one week

The first leg had been set for Wednesday at Estadio El Campín in Bogotá, with the return leg in Buenos Aires to follow. Citing the earthquakes in Colombia, CONMEBOL moved both matches back by a week.

Méndez, speaking to TyC Sports, said there was nothing to do but accept the ruling. “We were waiting for CONMEBOL to make a statement. It is the highest authority and we had to accept what they decided,” he said, as relayed by Olé. The report was published Tuesday evening, hours after the decision became public.

Santa Fe president: “No reason to leave the capital”

Méndez pushed back against any suggestion of relocating the first leg, pointing out that the capital was not hit by the disaster. “There is no reason to leave the capital. The city was not affected by that disaster, but a large part of the country is hurting today. We have to be very supportive of our fellow countrymen,” he said.

He added that local authorities inspected the stadium on Monday and cleared it for play. “Although the tremor was felt, we were not affected. Yesterday the authorities gave the green light that the stadium had not suffered any alteration and in the city everything is normal and work is continuing. I do not see any reason why the match cannot be played here,” Méndez said.

| Match | Copa Sudamericana round of 16, first leg: River Plate vs Independiente Santa Fe |
| Original date | Wednesday, August 12, at Estadio El Campín, Bogotá |
| New dates | August 19 (Bogotá) and August 26 (Buenos Aires) |
| Reason | CONMEBOL ruling after earthquakes in Colombia |
| Key claim | Méndez says El Campín passed Monday’s inspection and the city is operating normally |

River gets an extra week amid a rough start

The delay gives River more time to address a deepening domestic crisis. Eduardo Coudet’s side sits last in Group B of the Torneo Clausura with no points and no goals scored. Before the rescheduled Sudamericana first leg, River must play the fifth round of the local championship on Sunday at 18:00 against Argentinos Juniors at the Monumental, still searching for its first points of the campaign.

One bright spot is Thiago Almada, who has been registered on River’s Sudamericana squad list. Almada has said publicly that Coudet called him and he did not hesitate, and that the team will pull through its rough stretch. Sunday’s league match gives the squad a chance to build some momentum before the continental tie.

Santa Fe’s own setbacks

The postponement cuts both ways for Pablo Repetto’s side. Santa Fe sit 11th in the Liga Dimayor but have a game in hand; a win would put them between fifth and sixth depending on other results. However, the club will be without its first-choice goalkeeper, who remains injured and will not be available for the River series regardless of the rescheduled dates.

For Méndez, the fixture itself is the priority. “It is a challenge, and facing a big club is good. The team is focused; we want the date to arrive. We wanted it to be tomorrow [Wednesday], but unfortunately it could not be,” he said.

What remains unclear

CONMEBOL’s official statement was not reproduced in full by Olé, so exact kickoff times and broadcast arrangements for August 19 and 26 should be confirmed on the confederation’s channels. It also remains unclear whether other Colombian clubs’ continental fixtures could be affected as the country deals with the aftermath of the earthquakes. With Santa Fe insisting the capital is safe and ready, the main open question now is whether CONMEBOL agrees that El Campín will host as originally planned.

Source: https://www.ole.com.ar/river-plate/river-presidente-independiente-santa-fe-suspendido-copa-sudamericana_0_AOh2oDQFso.html

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