Coquimbo held to draw in Edson Puch's return, delaying Copa Chile qualification

Coquimbo Unido salvaged a 1-1 draw against Deportes Iquique at the Estadio Tierra de Campeones, a result that not only postponed their qualification for the Copa Chile's round of 16 but also dampened the return of veteran Edson Puch. The "pirata" squad had aimed for a victory to secure their progression and conserve energy for upcoming domestic league and Copa Libertadores commitments, where they are set to face Argentina's Platense.

The match proved challenging for Coquimbo in Iquique. The home team, motivated by Puch's presence on the bench after a four-month layoff due to an ankle injury, sought to capitalize on their home advantage. The deadlock was broken in the second half following a contentious penalty decision, which Agustín Venezia converted to give the "celestial dragons" the lead.

Edson Puch made his anticipated return to the field in the 81st minute, coming on for Byron Barrera amidst an ovation from the crowd. However, his comeback was not accompanied by a victory. Just minutes later, in the 87th minute, Luis Riveros scored the decisive equalizer for Coquimbo from a set-piece, amidst a scramble of players. Despite a late effort from Álvaro Ramos that tested the visiting goalkeeper Cristóbal Dorador, the score remained level.

With this result, Coquimbo leads the group with nine points, followed by Iquique with eight. Deportes Limache remains in contention with five points and two games in hand. The draw leaves the qualification race in the group open heading into the final matches.