Monday, the 5th of October 2020, 10:30 am local time (3:30 pm UTC), San Marcos Stadium, Lima (neutral ground), 16th round of the Peruvian Liga 1 (Apertura / First Stage).
Ever since manager Carlos Ramacciotti has been sacked, match after match, Cusco FC have looked worse, have played worse and have had worse results. It was stated that Francisco Melgar is "interim" coach but he has already stayed in this position longer than some of the "permanent" coaches. So, how low can this team get before SOMETHING, ANYTHING, happens regarding the managing staff or the players? We know that players cannot be transferred during this period, but most likely many of them will leave at the end of the year, like every previous year, since this club has never cared too much to make the players stay - they simply chose to get other players, then other players... so, with some notable exceptions (Ramúa and Carando), all the other players are "new", so they probably do not have too many concerns regarding the club and its performance. There are very few local players who really care about the team, on the long term. But even with these players, the team did not lose a single game when Ramacciotti was manager. So, how can one blame the players? The same players got some good results, but now they seem unable to win against anyone, and moreover they lose 4-0 to a mid-table team like Carlos A. Mannucci.
There are of course some reasons for this. The match began badly for Cusco FC, as goalkeeper Pretel was injured and had to be changed early by Farro, again in a very bad shape. Luckily for Cusco FC, in the first half Carlos A. Mannucci did not get too often close to their goal, as the match was quite balanced, and Cusco FC had some periods when they seemed in control, but without creating dangerous opportunities, so the first half ended 0-0.
Everything happened in the second half, most precisely after the 59th minute, when Ray Sandoval received the second yellow card and was sent off right before the moment he was about to be substituted. Bad luck for Cusco FC. Immediately after, Carlos A. Mannucci scored: Patricio Arce executed a corner from the left, and Gonzalo Rizzo headed the ball in from short range: 0-1 (65'). Then, Kevin Moreno crossed from the left and Osnar Noronha headed the ball in, similarly: 0-2 (67'). The game calmed down for a while, but in the end Patricio Arce also scored twice, first after a great deep pass from Jean Pierre Fuentes (0-3, 83'), and then after a cross by Rely Fernández and a dribbling inside the area: 0-4 (90'+1').
Carlos A. Mannucci players (in red) had all the reasons to celebrate. Source: dechalaca.com
Cusco FC: Pretel (Farro 18') - Chávez, Toledo, Saravia, Céspedes - Gonzales, Valenzuela - Sandoval, Ramúa (M. Carranza 68'), Rivera (Gutiérrez 68') - Carando (Morales 76'). Head coach: Francisco Melgar.
Carlos A. Mannucci: Heredia - Benites (López 84'), Rizzo, Benincasa, Moreno - T. Carranza (Fuentes 73'), Flores (Nungaray 73') - A. Rodríguez (R. Fernández 84'), Arce, Lagos - J. Fernández (Noronha 56'). Head coach: Pablo Peirano.
Referee: Jesús Cartagena.
Yellow cards: Carando 34', Sandoval 51', 59' - Noronha 90'+3'.
Red card: Sandoval 59' (for the second yellow card).
There are three rounds remaining in the Apertura. In the next round, Cusco FC will play on Saturday against Atlético Grau and it is no longer a joke when one says that this might be a match for 6 points, given the 5 point gap between the two teams, actually the gap which still separates Cusco FC from the teams clearly involved in the fight to avoid relegation. In contrast, Carlos A. Mannucci are now second (!!) in the table, so they can look in confidence to their next game against FBC Melgar, to be played on Friday evening.
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