One half is sometimes enough, sometimes not: UTC - Cusco FC 2-1

Friday, 13 August 2021, 11 am local time (4 pm UTC), Monumental Stadium, Lima (neutral ground), Peru, round 6, Stage 2, Peruvian First Division.

UTC Cajamarca and Cusco FC are two teams which are in the dangerous area of relegation this year, and the head-to-head match was important for both. 

UTC started the match in a better mood, attacking more, while Cusco FC preferred to have more control and possession of the ball, but mainly in their own half, rarely trying to launch long balls to Royón, who was unable to fight all by himself with the Cajamarca defenders. 

The first goal came as a surprise, in a moment when both teams looked very pleased with the 0-0 scoresheet. Estrada, from his own half, sent a long ball to Gentile, who managed to control the ball despite the presence of Rizzo (who is not a right back!), and shoot, Hermoza saved but the ball deflected luckily to Blanco in the middle of the box, who scored: 1-0 (31'). 

Right before half time, UTC managed to double their advantage, from a similar situation. This time it was Villalba's shot, saved by Hermoza, but Figueroa pushed the ball (which Hermoza was about to catch) to Blanco, who simply touched it to get in: 2-0 (45'+2').

In the second half, UTC mostly defended, trying to preserve their advantage, while Cusco attacked with all their lines. Víctor Cedrón, who just came in, had a wonderful shot, which struck the post (51'). The same Cedrón combined with Sandro Rengifo (another sub), who remained all by himself with the goalkeeper Libman, but chose to strike it hard into the crossbar instead of a calculated shot (73'). The goal came eventually a few minutes later: Rengifo and Carrillo combined in the opposite box, and Rengifo finally found the right shot, to the left of the goalkeeper: 2-1 (77').

Sandro Rengifo (in black) scored the only goal for Cusco FC in this match. Source: Cusco FC Facebook page

Unfortunately for Cusco FC, despite their desperate efforts made in the remaining time, they did not manage to score an equalizer and UTC won 2-1.

UTC: Libman - Estrada, Ortiz, Gordillo, Gutiérrez - Diez, Mejía (Kambou 88') - Sandoval (Castro 64'), Villalba (F. Gómez 64'), Gentile (E. Gómez 78') - Blanco (Curiel 78'). Manager: Mario Viera.

Cusco: Hermoza - Rizzo, Figueroa, Corrales, Céspedes (Rengifo 64') - Tello (Cedrón 46'), Aubert - Abisab, Ramúa (Carrillo 70'), Rivera - Royón (Espinoza 46'). Manager: Claudio Vivas.

Referee: Fernando Legario.

Yellow cards: E. Gómez 18' (on the bench), Villalba 36', Libman 39', Ortiz 85' - Rivera 55'.

Both teams dominated one half of the game, and this was not enough for UTC (who dominated the first half), but not enough for Cusco, who tried to revert the score in their favour. The two goals received by Cusco were rather the fruit of errors made by Cusco defenders, and not so much the merit of UTC strikers. Especially the second goal may be considered as almost an own goal by Figueroa, who dispossessed his own goalkeeper, putting the ball on a plate for Blanco.

On the other hand, Cusco did not count in the attack in the first half. Their game is too much dependent on Ramúa, who had a bad day (again), and, unfortunately, the usual replacements, Abisab and Aubert, despite playing 90 minutes, did not appear too much in the offensive, either. The changes made by Vivas were very good, as Cedrón and Rengifo were among the best in Cusco FC in the second half, Carrillo played decently and helped Rengifo with an assist for the goal, and Espinoza was much more involved than Royón in the first half. 

This fluctuation of form for some of the players should worry the manager Claudio Vivas, who has the difficult task to choose the starting XI and even those on the bench out of a large squad quantitatively, but so small qualitatively. 

The next match of Cusco FC will be on Tuesday, when they face the leaders Carlos A. Mannucci, while UTC will play on the same day against former leaders, FBC Melgar.