Cusco FC lost 1-0 to Universidad César Vallejo in the first round of Stage 2 - Peruvian First Division

Monday, 19 July 2021, 1:15 pm local time (6:15 pm UTC), Monumental Stadium, Lima (neutral ground), Peru, round 1, Stage 2, Peruvian First Division.

Cusco FC is in a surprising relegation position after Stage 1, and was expected that they would try to improve their squad during the mid-year transfer window. However, the technical staff led by manager Claudio Vivas probably considered that there is no such need for better players, and just a few were added to the already existing roster. Víctor Cedrón was the only new player who actually played from the beginning in the first game of Stage 2, but he did not show why he was brought in.

Actually, Cusco FC as a team failed to justify the trust that many had, that they would play much better in Stage 2, and would get better results, to avoid relegation. Their game was dull, decent sometimes, but not at all meant to get a win. Universidad César Vallejo was the better team, and fully deserved to win, as they were the only ones who really looked for a winning goal. They controlled the game most of the time, attacked more and more, while Cusco defended well and only tried to capitalize on the speed of their wingers, especially Carranza, on the counter.

José Daniel Rivera (Cusco FC, in black) had little chances against Emiliano Ciucci (Universidad César Vallejo). Source: andina.pe

In the first half, there were no real goal opportunities, as the teams closed down all the possible ways to get near the goal. Universidad César Vallejo increased their pressure in the second half, when opportunities started to emerge, one after the other, while Cusco FC manager did not nothing to stop the offensive waves of the opponents. Goalkeeper Nicosia saved several times, the defenders did their job, even the referee was on Cusco's side when he did not award a penalty for César Vallejo, after a clear foul of Rossi on Vélez. 

But this could not go forever like this, and eventually Universidad César Vallejo did score the winning goal: Millán found a miraculous pass to Vásquez, whose shot was saved by Nicosia, the ball came back to Santiago Silva, whose shot was saved by Céspedes, and the ball came back again to Jairo Vélez, who finally found the gap between the goalkeeper and Céspedes to send it home from close range: 1-0 (71').

It was only after the goal that Cusco FC tried to do something in the attack. They had a few chances, the biggest of them all was a shot by Edson Aubert from just outside the box, but Grados saved spectacularly (82'). They also might have been given a penalty, for a hand ball inside the box, but the referee overlooked (again), so 1-1 for penalties not given.

UCV: Grados - Morillo (Quinteros 60'), Ciucci, Fleitas, Vásquez - Figuera, Ysique, Millán, Vélez (Rodas 90'+2') - Mena, S. Silva (Da Silva 77'). Manager: José Del Solar.

Cusco: Nicosia - Orbe, Rizzo (Velásquez 77'), Rossi, Céspedes - Tello (Espinoza 77'), Abisab - Carranza, Ramúa (Montes 65'), Cedrón (Aubert 72') - Rivera. Manager: Claudio Vivas.

Referee: Joel Alarcón.

Yellow cards: Vélez 29', Ysique 45'+1', Mena 52' - Cedrón 54'.

The next match for Cusco FC would be Sunday, 25 July, against last classified Binacional. They would really need to get a win again - their only win in Stage 1 was against Binacional, but the pressure is even bigger right now. Another problem is that Gonzalo Rizzo was injured and had to be replaced, and Cusco FC does not have too many centre backs able to play at this moment, as Diego Minaya is also injured (from the beginning of the season). Carlos Orbe played as centre back in the final minutes of the game against Universidad César Vallejo, but it would be unusual for him to be used in that position from the beginning of the match. 

The other problem seems to be in the attack. Ramúa seems to be out of form, and nobody else is creative enough to break the opponents' defence. Moreover, few balls get to the striker, who might be again Montes, as he has just recovered after an injury and played the last 30 minutes or so against César Vallejo, but rarely in a position to score goals. Rivera is an excellent player, but not in the no. 9 position, while the wingers, such as Carranza or Rengifo, are good on counterattacks, when speed is needed, but are not so useful in a game when Cusco FC is supposed to have the ball and to control every attack, especially when there is nobody to finalize, to get the final touch of the ball, to send it in.