:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/MRJURSKS4VEBPEE55CKV4QPKYI.png "Get ready with the Copa Sudamericana: cable operators will broadcast matches of Colombian clubs again")
Next week begins South American Cupthe second most important tournament on the continent and four Colombian teams will seek the long-awaited title, which are Junior of Barranquilla, Independiente Santa Fe, Deportes Tolima and Águilas Doradas.
For this year, the competition presents several changes, including the one two teams will be able to pass the group stagethe first of each zone will qualify for the round of 16 and the second will play the playoffs with the third classified in the main round of the Copa Libertadores.
Dimayor responded to calls from Daniel Cataño and Deportes Tolima for their sanctions
The highest body has responded to requests to reduce the duration of the sanctions after the attack suffered by the Millonarios midfielder at the Manuel Murillo Toro stadium in Ibagué
Another important change is that the qualifying part of the competition, where the clubs from Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuelathey will no longer play two round-trip knockout matches, but a duel, in addition to the fact that the matches will be between institutions of the same country.
New channel for South America
A Tolima fan who attacked the Millonarios player reappeared in a video with a bottle of cognac near the stadium
With a mocking tone, Alejandro Montenegro uploaded the video to his Facebook profile where he is seen going from cognac to a bottle of water and victimizing himself by not being able to enter the Manuel Murillo Toro.
There has also been a significant change in the television broadcastsince the cable operator DirecTV will no longer exclusively cover Copa Sudamericana matches, but will share the rights with the international channel ESPN.
Since 2019, the North American company has presented all the commitments of the international tournament, known as the “Other half of the glory”, after an agreement with the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol), to obtain more great benefits of competition.
This is how Colombian fans were forced to subscribe to one of DirecTV’s plans to watch these matches, in addition to the final stages and title definition.
Distribution of matches
DirecTV has agreed with ESPN that each will broadcast 50% of the matches of the first phase of the Copa Sudamericana, which will be played from March 7 to 9.
In this way, users of cable operators such as Claro, Tigo UNE, Movistar, among others, will no longer have to register with the other company.
Remember that, in recent years, DirecTV has concluded several contracts with Conmebol for the broadcasting of other tournaments, such as the South American U-20 Championship in Colombiawhose rights have been transferred to the Colombian channels Caracol, RCN and Telepacífico so that they can cover a certain number of matches.
Colombian teams on television
While fans of the “coffee growers” hoped that the two matches of the national clubs would be seen by all the cable operators, only one of them will benefit from this advantage.
On the South America Phase One programming schedule, DirecTV will have the game between the Aguilas Doradas and Independiente Santa Fe, on March 8 at 7 p.m. in a stadium to be defined, if it will be at the Alberto Grisales in the city of Rionegro, Antioquia, and at the Atanasio Girardot in Medellín.
On the other hand, ESPN will transmit the commitment of the Deportes Tolima vs Junior de BarranquillaMarch 9 at the Manuel Murillo Toro Stadium in Ibagué at 7 p.m.
Only one duel, high demand
With the new format of the Copa Sudamericana in the first round, the teams of our country will have a greater obligation to stay alive in the contest, as a loss will knock them out of the international tournament.
to get one game to advance, instead of the old back and forthforces clubs to prepare more intensively not to say goodbye in just 90 minutes.
Remember that in the event of a tie in the game, the two teams in dispute will go to a series of penalties to define the qualifier.
Outstanding issue for Colombians
The Copa Sudamericana has become a very difficult competition for national clubs in recent yearswhere the last time an institution stood out was Junior de Barranquilla in the 2020 edition, reaching the quarter-finals.
Before that, Between 2014 and 2018, three tournaments with Colombian teams were seen in the final.who have been Atlético Nacional twice, Junior and Santa Fe, the latter winning it in 2015.