Once Caldas took a major step forward in their Copa Sudamericana campaign with a dominant 3-0 away win over San Antonio de Bulo Bulo in the first leg of the playoff round for the round of 16, played this Wednesday in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Numerical advantage and efficiency: keys to the rout

Although the first half was evenly matched, with chances for both sides, the Colombian team took full advantage of a key sending-off and the open spaces in the second half to secure a convincing victory. The Bolivian side, forced to play away from their home ground in the Cochabamba Tropics due to Conmebol restrictions, started cautiously but created a few scoring opportunities early on, testing James Aguirre in goal.

The match shifted dramatically in the 42nd minute when Erwin Junior Sánchez received a red card for a harsh foul on Luis Sánchez. Initially shown a yellow by Ecuadorian referee Augusto Aragón, the decision was upgraded to a red after a VAR review, leaving the hosts with ten men.

The numerical difference quickly became apparent. Just five minutes into the second half, Jefry Zapata pounced on a rebound following a shot from Michael Barrios to open the scoring. That goal gave Hernán Darío ‘El Arriero’ Herrera's squad full control of the match.

Substitutions proved crucial. Dayro Moreno, who came on in the 69th minute, made it 2-0 with a clinical header in the 85th minute, converting a pinpoint cross from Luis Felipe 'Pipe' Gómez, another substitute. Just three minutes later, Gómez found the net himself after being set up by Deinner Quiñónez.

With this result, Once Caldas find themselves in an ideal position to secure their spot in the round of 16 next week at home in Manizales. Meanwhile, San Antonio, playing in their first international tournament, will need nothing short of a miracle to turn the tie around in Colombia.