Once Caldas will host Deportes Tolima on Wednesday, September 16, in a postponed Liga BetPlay Dimayor match from date 7, with kickoff set for 6:15 p. m. at Palogrande. The game arrives at a sharp moment for the home side: Once Caldas is 12th with 9 points from eight matches, while Tolima sits third with 16 from the same number of games.
That gap is why the fixture is drawing so much attention now. A win would not solve everything, but it could move Once Caldas as high as eighth place and bring the team closer to the qualification zone. For a squad that has lost two matches in a row, including Sunday’s 1-2 defeat to Deportivo Cali in Manizales, the margin for error is already thin.
One boost does arrive with Mateo Zuleta, who returns to the Once Caldas squad after serving a one-match suspension. He paid for the red card he received in the 2-0 loss in Tunja against Boyacá Chicó, and his comeback gives Hernán Darío Herrera one more option as the team tries to steady itself against one of the stronger sides in the table.
But the football is not the only issue around the match. A section of Once Caldas supporters is already calling for Herrera’s departure after a run of limited performances, and the mood around the club has grown harsher as results have slipped. At the same time, the north stand bars will remain closed while roof replacement work continues at Palogrande, Holocausto will be located in the south stand and visiting supporters will not be allowed in.
Once Wednesday is over, Once Caldas still will not be done with its backlog. Another postponed date 5 match against Alianza Valledupar in Manizales remains on the schedule, which means this home game is only part of a larger attempt to catch up while the table is still taking shape.
