América de Cali begins a short but important second step in its Copa Sudamericana campaign on Wednesday when it hosts Alianza Atlético at Estadio Pascual Guerrero at 21:00 local time. The Colombian side comes in after a 1-1 draw with Macará in its debut, a result that left Group A tightly packed with every team on one point after the first matchday.
That opening night had turned against América early, when an own goal put Macará ahead before Daniel Angulo found the equalizer. The draw was enough to keep América in the chase, but it also sharpened the need for a cleaner performance at home against a visiting side that arrives after drawing with Tigre of Argentina in its own debut.
What gives América some relief is the state of its squad. Jan Lucumí, who had been sidelined by a muscle injury, and Darwin Machis, who had a muscle contracture in his hamstrings, both returned to training with the rest of their teammates during the week before the match. After a long spell of recovery, their availability gives the club two more options as it tries to turn a one-point start into something more useful.
The timing matters because this is the kind of second matchday that can quickly sort out a group. América de Cali did not get the win it wanted against Macará, but it also avoided an early setback that would have been harder to repair. Now the task is simpler to state and harder to do: use home field, use the returning legs, and avoid letting another point slip away.
