Into the channels: 06/12/2014 (cont.)

Atlético Huila 1 - 0 Atlético Nacional

Huila were pumped for this clash with Medellin-based champions Nacional, who needed a win to keep alive their hopes of a domestic and continental double, after drawing the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against River in midweek.

The Neiva side's Juan Caicedo scored in the third minute from a neatly threaded through ball.

Not the start El Verde (playing in black) were hoping for. Their number 7, Sherman Cárdenas, was playing as a quarterback, and it was his job to get Nacional attacking. Their first chance came in the 9th minute, Diego Arias cutting inside onto his right foot and shooting from inside the area - not getting his shot inside the posts though. Cárdenas dragged a shot past the other post from a bit further out a couple of minutes later. Save for these chances, the visitors were struggling.

Cárdenas

Lightning passes, physicality, and movement from Huila along the flanks meant that Nacional were stretched. Yellow and green banners and fans were rippling and bouncing in every corner of the stadium, and the home side duly hit the post in the 27th minute.

A great run from Jean Carlos Blanco - a constant thorn in the sides of Nacional's defenders - was called offside in the 19th minute

See how high up the Huila players (attacking left to right) were pressing

Just before the half hour mark, Nacional managed to create a couple of chances simply through spraying the ball out wide. Cárdenas was attempting to control the game from deep, but was being overrun. Calmness was not the colour of the game. Huila were winning the ball obstinately, and shooting from unorthodox positions, confidently.

Wilder Guisao was the other man really giving it a go for Nacional, and the right winger on loan from second division club Bogota was on the end of their next chance. He got his head to a cross, but was falling backward, and couldn't head forward.

When Nacional looked dangerous was when they were swapping positions, especially Cárdenas and Guisao, who was helping his clubmate out by carrying the ball forwards.

Five minutes before half time, Cárdenas had the next Nacional chance, cutting inside and hitting a simple shot along the floor, to be gathered up by the home keeper. Although the pace and intensity of Huila dipped as the half wore on, they were still playing a lot closer to the Nacional that had ripped through River on Wednesday night than Nacional themselves were.

Nacional manager Juan Carlos Osorio

It was time for former Manchester City coach Juan Carlos Osorio to work his magic, and save the double.

But first, more defending. Cristian Bonilla saved a header from a free kick that possibly kept his side in the game, right after half time.

The slow build

They started playing more physically than they had done in the first half - although one casualty of this was Sebastian Perez, a midfielder once on trial with Arsenal, but currently featuring as a squad player, getting game time here thanks to Nacional's pile-up of important fixtures. He hobbled off to be replaced by Alejandro Guerra, having failed to exert much of an influence on the game.

Nacional were starting to control play by the hour mark, especially through Guisao. If they were stronger, their neat passing play wasn't creating them any clear-cut chances. They just didn't have those explosive bursts of pace that Huila had, and that the likes of Orlando Berrio had exhibited against River.

Two Nacional substitutes had good chances to level the game later on, weak headers from Santiago Trellez and Harrison Otalvaro not doing much to trouble the home keeper.

Would Huila's bullishness see them out? Well, far be it for me to say 'Nacional lost because they didn't play Juan Pablo Angel', but: yes.

Loser

Having both thrown away their shots at the domestic title, Nacional will face Argentina's River Plate in the second part of the final of South America's Europa League on Wednesday night. Angel is a legend at both clubs, and he will be hoping to play a role, as will River's veteran Fernando Cavenaghi, and their current Colombian hero Teo Gutierrez.