América de Cali managed to secure a valuable 1-1 draw at Corinthians' home, keeping their second-place position in Group C of the Copa Sudamericana. The match, part of the fourth round of the group stage, took place at the Neo Química Arena in São Paulo.

Dutch forward Memphis Depay opened the scoring for Corinthians in the 18th minute with a stunning shot from outside the box that goalkeeper Jorge Soto couldn’t stop. However, just after the second half started, Sebastián Navarro equalized for the Colombian side, showing the character of the América team.

The fight for qualification stays alive

With this result, América de Cali now has six points and remains in second place in the table, just behind Huracán (7 points), who still have one match left to play. Meanwhile, Corinthians, with five points, now have their qualification hopes hanging by a thread and need to win their last two games to stay in the race.

The match was tight, with both teams battling to secure a spot in the round of 16. Depay and Yuri Alberto were key in attack for the Brazilians, while Navarro, Juan Fernando Quintero, and Soto stood out for the Colombian side.

América started strong, with Navarro testing Hugo Souza early on. However, as the match went on, it became more balanced, and after Depay's goal, the home side’s attack gained momentum, helped by their fans’ support.

Navarro’s equalizer early in the second half reignited América’s hopes, as they pushed forward, maintaining constant pressure on the Brazilian goal. Despite the relentless efforts of the home team, Soto stood tall with several key saves, keeping the score level until the final whistle.