Cusco FC are closer to relegation than ever before after a 3-2 loss to Sport Boys

Sport Boys - Cusco FC 3-2 (1-0)

Villamarín 43', 73', T. Carranza 90'+1' penalty - Rengifo 58', Montes 86' penalty.

Wednesday, 22 September 2021, 11 am local time (4 pm UTC), Iván Elías Moreno Stadium, Lima (neutral ground), Peru, 12th round of Stage 2, Peruvian First Division (Liga 1).

Joao Villamarín (left) scored a brace while Tarek Carranza (center) scored the decisive goal in stoppage time to get Sport Boys a win. Source: depor.com

There are only five rounds to go and Cusco FC are closer than ever to relegation to the Second Division. It is hard to believe that, but sooner or later it has to be accepted as such - at this moment only a miracle would make them remain in the First Division, especially because they lose almost every match while the other opponents in the fight to avoid relegation win. 

The game against Sport Boys was one of those "accessible" for Cusco FC, at least in theory. In practice, things were a bit different. Sport Boys are now one of the teams fighting at the upper end, to get to Copa Libertadores - just like other ten teams or so, because except for the first two and the last two in the classification, all the others are very close and any good result might determine a considerable jump in the table.

In the field, one would have expected Cusco FC to be more determined to win, because they needed the three points more than the opponents. In reality, the match was very disputed and, fair to say, Sport Boys were better overall and deserved to win, although they were rather lucky in the end. Cusco FC without Abisab and / or Ramúa are lacking creativity, innovation, surprise. They were decent, they fought well, but it was not enough. Sport Boys had a small technical and tactical advantage that proved decisive in the end.

In the first half, the two teams battled mostly in midfield, but there were also a few chances, for both teams. Right before half time, Sport Boys took the lead: Luis Ramírez assisted Joao Villamarín who did not miss from a great position inside the box: 1-0 (43').

It was a heavy blow for Cusco FC, which prepared everything for an offensive second half. It finally paid off: Aubert lifted a ball in the box, goalkeeper Álvarez tried to send the ball away by boxing it, but it only reached Figueroa, who headed it back, and Rengifo sent it in from very close range: 1-1 (58').

Marcelo Grioni was about to make two offensive changes when the equalizer came. Eventually only Carranza was sent in to replace Aubert, and this is one thing I do not understand: why did Cusco stop attacking at 1-1? Was it a good score for them? Normally they needed to win, so they should have continued their offensive rage. Instead, the game became balanced once again, Sport Boys and Cusco alternating the good moments.

Cedrón crossed perfectly for Montes, but his header was saved by Álvarez, from whom the ball deflected into the crossbar (71'). Instead of 2-1 for Cusco, it was 2-1 for Sport Boys: after a corner from the left side, goalkeeper Enríquez was unable to catch the ball, which got to Joao Villamarín, who scored his second of the day (73').

Cusco FC returned with the all-offensive tactic which proved beneficial at the beginning of the half. Ramúa was eventually sent in (78') to better coordinate the attacks. It took 13 minutes to equalize once again, the same period as the one at the beginning of the half. Miguel Carranza was fouled inside the box by Torrejón and the penalty was transformed by Mauricio Montes: 2-2 (86').

Cusco FC needed to defend well for just a few minutes to get one point. Nevertheless, a foul by Velásquez on Campana inside the box led to another penalty, this time for Sport Boys, transformed by Tarek Carranza: 3-2 (90'+1'). And there was not enough time left for Cusco FC to equalize once again...

Sport Boys: Álvarez - Rostaing, Revoredo, Fuentes, Bolívar (Nungaray 65') - Torrejón, T. Carranza, L. Ramírez (Uribe 90'+5') - Villamarín, Penco (Campana 65'), Alarcón. Manager: Ytalo Manzo.

Cusco FC: Enríquez - Velásquez, Figueroa, Rizzo, Corrales - Gonzales, Tello (Ramúa 78'), Aubert (M. Carranza 62') - Cedrón, Montes, Rengifo. Manager: Marcelo Grioni.

Referee: Hibert Villegas.

Yellow cards: Ramírez 31', Revoredo 33', Torrejón 84'.

Cusco FC will have two decisive matches next, against Academia Cantolao and Universidad de San Martín. They are last in the classification, so there is nothing to lose. They need to win both matches, and this can be done. Despite their disastrous season, Cusco FC may still have the upper hand in these encounters. It is also their last chance, their last hope. Manager Marcelo Grioni must find a way to improve the morale of the players and to win these matches.