The team led by Ariel Holan faced its first setback after bowing out of the Copa Sudamericana, shifting its focus to the domestic league.
With the arrival of the early reinforcements, Byron Nieto, Alexander Aravena, Guillermo Burdisso, Eugenio Mena, and Franco Di Santo, Universidad Católica began shaping its bold project for 2023. The squad faced a reality shaped by the departures of key figures José Pedro Fuenzalida, Germán Lanaro, and Luciano Aued, and the new players were brought in to fill those gaps.
The club has been seeking a stadium that can host the team on a permanent basis as the club unveils a 2.0 version of itself. Santa Laura has been a focal point in every respect for the club, located in the Metropolitan Region where a large portion of Católica supporters are concentrated.
On the penultimate Friday of December 2022, UC defeated Chile’s Under-20 team in a friendly, with goals from Fernando Zampedri and Diego Ossa, while Joan Cruz scored for the visitors.
“The head coach’s ideas began to become clearer during training sessions, helping the team function more smoothly in transitions from defense to attack,” Guillermo Burdisso noted after the win over La Roja Sub 20. “Personally, I feel more settled. I am still adapting to the intensity of Ariel’s teams, which are very demanding. I’m happy with how the squad welcomed me and made me feel part of the group right away. The friendly matches let us test different tactical setups. You can see a highly involved group that demands 100 percent in every training. That effort will show in official matches,” he added, as reported by Cruzados.
The objective is to have everyone available and to see La Roja Sub 20 rotate players in the second half — a sign of ongoing experimentation and depth.
Thomas Gilier; Manuel Lolas, Bastian Roco, Darko Fiamengo and Yahir Salazar; Bryan González, Jeison Fuentealba and Joan Cruz; Martin Maturana, Alberto Letelier and Juan Ignacio Figueroa. pic.twitter.com/BSFwMQAx2N
– Chile national team (La Roja Sub 20) December 23, 2022
To close 2022, UC defeated Magallanes 3-0 and 4-1 in two 70-minute friendlies, with César Pinares, Fernando Zampedri, and Gonzalo Tapia excelling in the first match, while Milan Tudor (2), Luis Felipe Hernández, and Tapia returned in the second, including a late goal from Yorman Zapata. “Against Magallanes we saw a more settled team that aligned better with the coach’s plan,” Ignacio Saavedra said at a press conference.
The first public friendlies for the fans came in a narrow win against Talleres. Then came a trip to Concepción where they defeated Oriente Petrolero in a dominant display, before closing the preparatory phase with a 1-1 draw against Rosario Central (Gonzalo Tapia scoring).
In the domestic league, Católica opened by beating Everton abroad and then edged Curicó at home in Concepción with a 3-1 victory, followed by a tense win in Coquimbo. After a draw with Cobresal, they bounced back with a strong comeback against Audax Italiano on La Florida soil, climbed to the top after beating Palestino at El Teniente, and stayed there after beating Ñublense 1-2 in a dramatic finish.
Nonetheless, the season began with a setback as they exited the Copa Sudamericana after a loss to Audax Italiano. Back in the league, they salvaged a 2–2 draw against Unión Española at La Portada thanks to a late double from Fernando Zampedri, and the team dropped points again after a draw with Magallanes at the Bicentennial. With a tournament break, Católica planned a friendly against Deportes La Serena at La Portada ahead of the Modern Classic versus Colo Colo.
THE FIXTURE: UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA MATCH SCHEDULE 2023
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Source: Goal