Marcelo Morales said he took it easy with his challenges so he would not miss the Superclásico, and Universidad de Chile still came from behind to beat Deportes Limache 3-1. The left back's caution was part of a night when the club needed both points and discipline, with Sunday’s match against Colo Colo now waiting at the Estadio Nacional.
Morales was one of three Universidad de Chile players in capilla before the derby, alongside Gabriel Castellón and Javier Altamirano. In that situation, a single booking could have turned into a suspension, which is why he said he tried to stay off the ground in duels and avoid collisions while the team played through a difficult start.
That caution did not keep the match from becoming messy early. Daniel Castro scored after one minute for Deportes Limache, forcing Universidad de Chile to chase the game before Fabián Hormazábal equalized at 46’, Agustín Arce put the visitors ahead at 76’ and Gonzalo Reyna finished it at 91’. By the end, the result had lifted Universidad de Chile to 36 points and left it alone in second place in Liga de Primera, with five straight wins behind it.
Morales's own account captured the balance the side had to strike. “Me cuidé un poquito, trate de no tirarme ni de chocar,” he said, adding that the group would turn its full attention to the classic from the next day onward. His words matched the reality on the field: Universidad de Chile needed him available for the Superclásico, but it also needed him engaged in a match it could not afford to lose.
The hidden cost of that kind of night is simple. With three players in capilla before the Superclásico, Universidad de Chile protected what it could and still had to win the match in front of it. That worked against Deportes Limache, but the true test comes on Sunday, 23 August, when Colo Colo arrives at the Estadio Nacional and every available player matters even more.
After that, Universidad de Chile will travel to face Universidad de Concepción on 30/8 at the estadio Ester Roa Rebolledo. For now, though, Morales has already answered the practical question behind the result: he played carefully enough to stay in the derby, and the club finished the night with both the points and its plan intact.
