L'America dà una lezione a Junior e Millonari: ha un contratto con Barranquilla e ha già un rivale nelle semifinali della Copa Betplay

América de Cali secured its place in the Copa BetPlay 2026 semifinals with a dominant 4-0 victory over Barranquilla FC on Wednesday. The match took place at the Estadio Romelio Martinez in the capital of Atlantico department. This result ends the surprising run of the second division side, which had previously eliminated top flight teams Junior and Millonarios, both via penalty shootouts. With this win, America becomes the third team confirmed for the semi-final stage of the tournament. The match was decided under a single game format, a rule applied by the Division Mayor del Futbol Profesional Colombiano, known as Dimayor, for the playoff phases. However, the competition will revert to a home and away format starting with the semi-finals. The referee did not award any added time during the match, reflecting the level of control exercised by the visiting team. Omar Bertel opened the scoring early in the seventh minute. Tomas Angel extended the lead before halftime, finding the net again in the 43rd minute. Edson Tortolero scored the third goal just before the break ended at the 45th minute. Angel completed his hat trick in the second half, adding another goal in the 68th minute to seal the rout. Despite missing a penalty kick through Yeison Guzman, America maintained its authority throughout the encounter. The team, managed by David Gonzalez, imposed its style against a rival that had been considered the major revelation of the championship prior to this defeat. This victory marks a historic opportunity for America de Cali. The club has never won the Copa BetPlay title in its history. It now aims to claim its first trophy in this specific competition in 2026. The performance solidified its status as one of the strongest teams in Colombian football currently. The semi-final bracket is nearly complete. America de Cali will face Internacional de Bogota. Internacional qualified earlier in the week after defeating Llaneros 4-1 at the Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campin in Bogota on October 15. Goals for the Bogota side were scored by Ronaldo Julio, Facundo Bone from a penalty, Cristian Dajome, and Johan Caballero. Dajome’s strike, described as a shot from 40 meters, was highlighted as potentially the best goal of the year in Colombia. Llaneros’ only goal came from Ospina. On the other side of the draw, Atletico Nacional advanced after beating Independiente Medellin 3-2 in the Antioquia derby. That match was played at the Atanasio Girardot stadium in Medellin in front of more than 22,000 spectators. Nacional enters the semi-finals as the reigning power in the tournament, having won all eight finals they have reached in the competition’s history without suffering a loss in those decisive matches. The final spot in the semi-finals will be determined by the upcoming quarter-final clash between Independiente Santa Fe and Once Caldas. As of October 21, Dimayor had not yet scheduled this fixture. The winner of that tie will face Atletico Nacional for a place in the grand final. Historical records indicate that America de Cali holds a perfect record against Internacional de Bogota under the latter’s current name. They have met twice officially since the club adopted its new identity. America won 3-0 at the Pascual Guerrero stadium on January 17, 2026, and 2-0 in Bogota on July 26, 2026. Internacional de Bogota replaced La Equidad in the first division for the 2026 season, retaining the sports license of the previous institution. Consequently, broader historical comparisons include matches played while the team was known as La Equidad Seguros, a name used until November 12, 2025. Under that previous identity, the two clubs accumulated 31 encounters. The semi-final series between America and Internacional will begin in Bogota and conclude at the Pascual Guerrero stadium in Cali. There is speculation that the Bogota club may seek to host the first leg at El Campin, though official venue assignments for the semi-legs have not been fully detailed beyond the general return format. The competition continues with high stakes as the four remaining teams vie for the national cup.