Universitario de Deportes - Cusco FC 2-1 (0-0)
Urruti 49', Valera 57' - Figueroa 64'.
Saturday, 23 October 2021, 3:30 pm local time (8:30 pm UTC), Alberto Gallardo Stadium (neutral ground), Lima, Peru, 16th round (second to last), Stage 2, Peruvian First Division (Liga 1).
The two teams met having in mind completely different objectives. Universitario needs to stay on the third place in the aggregate table, to get in the second qualifying round of Copa Libertadores next year. Cusco FC are in a relegation position, and any point would have been essential for them.
Actually, Cusco FC made a very courageous and offensive first half. They even scored once, as Mauricio Montes headed in a cross from Alfredo Ramúa, but the goal was cancelled (incorrectly) for offside. Anyway, Cusco tried hard, while Universitario defended calmly, and reacted only towards the end of the first half, when Novick's header was saved by Enríquez.
The second half started badly for Cusco FC. On a counterattack, Urruti sent the ball to Valera, who sent it back to Urruti in excellent position, and his shot went straight in: 1-0 (49'). Just a few minutes later, a long ball looking for a striker was intercepted by Enríquez outside the area, but the young Cusco goalkeeper wrongly sent the ball to Valera, who easily found the empty net: 2-0 (57').
Cusco FC manager, Marcelo Grioni, tried to change something in the attack, sending Rivera and Carranza in, and indeed Cusco managed to score. A long range free kick was executed by Ramúa, Corrales headed inside the area, and Anier Figueroa headed the ball in from short range: 2-1 (64').
Cusco FC pressed for an equalizer, but their only chance was a one-on-one of Rivera with the goalkeeper Carvallo, after a great pass from Carranza, but the ball went over the crossbar.
On the other hand, Universitario strikers took advantage of the space left in Cusco defense, but missed many opportunities, some of them saved miraculously by Enríquez, who made up for his mistake at the second goal.
Universitario: Carvallo - Zevallos (Rugel 90'+2'), Quina, Velarde, Cabanillas - Murrugarra (Guarderas 75'), Alfageme - Urruti (C. Flores 90'), Novick (Quispe 75'), Quintero - Valera. Manager: Gregorio Elso Pérez.
Cusco: Enríquez - Rizzo, Figueroa, Gonzales, Corrales - Cedrón (Rivera 59'), Abisab (Carrillo 83'), Aubert (Tello 76'), Céspedes (Carranza 60') - Ramúa - Montes. Manager: Marcelo Grioni.
Referee: Diego Haro.
Yellow cards: Urruti 35' - Gonzales 69', Tello 90'+3'.
Unfortunately for Cusco FC, this defeat sends them on the last place in the aggregate table with one round to go. Their chances of avoiding relegation are minimal. First of all, they need to win against Sport Huancayo. Any other result would mean relegation. But even if they win, they need at least two (preferably three) of their four opponents to break their necks in the last round. This sounds very improbable for anyone who knows that in the last round there are teams which will give everything on the ground, and other teams which are already on holidays.
However, to be completely precise about this, if Cusco FC win, they need at least two of the following four results: Alianza Atlético to lose to Deportivo Municipal; Universidad de San Martín to lose to UTC; Binacional not to win against Universidad César Vallejo; Alianza Universidad not to win against Ayacucho. The latter two are more probable, as Universidad César Vallejo are fighting for the fourth place, which would qualify them for the next year Copa Libertadores, and Ayacucho for the eighth place, which would qualify them for the next year Copa Sudamericana.
Even if Cusco FC win, and two of the above-mentioned results happen, Cusco FC would finish in the 16th place, which means that they will have to go through a promotion/relegation play-off against the second classified in the Second Division. If they win, and three of the above-mentioned results happen, they would be on the 15th place and completely out of trouble, but this is highly improbable.
No matter what happens in the last round, this was a disastrous season for Cusco FC. The team was really among the weakest in the Peruvian First Division, unable to gather points, receiving lots of goals, having the second worst defense in the league. The biggest surprise is the lack of interest from the side of the owners, who seemed to have disappeared, leaving the whole club in the hands of amateurs. The managers (Ramacciotti, Vivas, Grioni) made no impact on the team, the new players brought in were equally bad or even worse than the existing ones (except for Abisab), and the players who remained had a pretty bad season, worse than the previous one.
So, something needs to happen for things to be back on the track, either in the First Division, or (more likely) in the Second Division.
Full results, tables and fixtures:
Round 16 (22-24 October 2021)
Academia Cantolao – UTC 2-0
Ayacucho – Cienciano 1-3
Sport Boys – Carlos A. Mannucci 3-3
Sport Huancayo – Binacional 2-0
Universidad de San Martín – Alianza Atlético 3-1
Universitario – Cusco FC 2-1
Deportivo Municipal – FBC Melgar 1-3
Universidad César Vallejo – Alianza Universidad 3-1
Alianza Lima – Sporting Cristal 1-3
Stage 2 (Clausura) table
|
1 |
Alianza Lima |
16 |
12 |
3 |
1 |
26-10 |
39 |
Qualified for the play-off |
|
2 |
Sporting Cristal |
16 |
10 |
3 |
3 |
38-22 |
33 |
|
|
3 |
FBC Melgar |
16 |
9 |
4 |
3 |
33-13 |
31 |
|
|
4 |
Universitario de Deportes |
16 |
8 |
5 |
3 |
29-18 |
29 |
|
|
5 |
Sport Boys |
16 |
7 |
6 |
3 |
23-19 |
27 |
|
|
6 |
Cienciano |
16 |
6 |
6 |
4 |
24-20 |
24 |
|
|
7 |
Universidad César Vallejo |
16 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
14-12 |
23 |
|
|
8 |
Deportivo Municipal |
16 |
6 |
3 |
7 |
24-22 |
21 |
|
|
9 |
Carlos A. Mannucci |
16 |
6 |
3 |
7 |
26-26 |
21 |
|
|
10 |
Binacional |
16 |
6 |
2 |
8 |
24-29 |
20 |
|
|
11 |
UTC |
16 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
15-21 |
20 |
|
|
12 |
Ayacucho FC |
16 |
5 |
4 |
7 |
19-25 |
19 |
|
|
13 |
Sport Huancayo |
16 |
3 |
9 |
4 |
17-19 |
18 |
|
|
14 |
Academia Cantolao |
16 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
20-23 |
17 |
|
|
15 |
Cusco FC |
16 |
4 |
3 |
9 |
29-33 |
15 |
|
|
16 |
Alianza Atlético |
16 |
4 |
3 |
9 |
21-35 |
15 |
|
|
17 |
Alianza Universidad |
16 |
3 |
5 |
8 |
16-30 |
14 |
|
|
18 |
Universidad San Martín |
16 |
1 |
4 |
11 |
8-29 |
7 |
|
Rules for classification (except for first place): 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) drawing of lots.
A play-off is needed to decide the winner if two or more teams are tied on points on top of the table at the end of the tournament.
Round 17 (31 October 2021)
Cusco FC – Sport Huancayo
UTC – Universidad de San Martín
Carlos A. Mannucci – Academia Cantolao
Alianza Atlético – Deportivo Municipal
FBC Melgar – Universitario
Alianza Universidad – Ayacucho
Sporting Cristal – Sport Boys
Cienciano – Alianza Lima
Binacional – Universidad César Vallejo
Aggregate table (Stage 1 + Stage 2)
|
1 |
Sporting Cristal (AW, Q) |
25 |
18 |
3 |
4 |
56-28 |
57 |
Qualified for the play-offs & CL |
|
2 |
Alianza Lima (CW, Q) |
25 |
16 |
7 |
2 |
38-16 |
55 |
Qualified for the play-offs & CL |
|
3 |
Universitario de Deportes |
25 |
12 |
8 |
5 |
41-29 |
43 |
[1] Qualified for C. Libertadores |
|
4 |
Univ. César Vallejo |
25 |
11 |
8 |
6 |
31-20 |
41 |
Qualified for Copa Libertadores |
|
5 |
FBC Melgar |
25 |
11 |
7 |
7 |
44-25 |
40 |
Qualified for C. Sudamericana |
|
6 |
Cienciano |
25 |
10 |
8 |
7 |
38-32 |
37 |
[1] Qualified for C. Sudamericana |
|
7 |
Sport Boys |
25 |
10 |
7 |
8 |
35-33 |
36 |
[1] Qualified for C. Sudamericana |
|
8 |
Ayacucho FC |
25 |
8 |
10 |
7 |
35-35 |
34 |
Qualified for C. Sudamericana |
|
9 |
Carlos A. Mannucci |
25 |
9 |
6 |
10 |
39-40 |
33 |
|
|
10 |
Sport Huancayo |
25 |
6 |
12 |
7 |
25-28 |
30 |
|
|
11 |
UTC |
25 |
8 |
6 |
11 |
24-33 |
30 |
|
|
12 |
Deportivo Municipal |
25 |
8 |
4 |
13 |
30-37 |
27 |
|
|
13 |
Academia Cantolao |
25 |
7 |
6 |
12 |
28-36 |
27 |
|
|
14 |
Alianza Atlético |
25 |
7 |
4 |
14 |
31-44 |
25 |
|
|
15 |
Universidad San Martín |
25 |
7 |
5 |
13 |
18-35 |
25 |
|
|
16 |
Binacional |
25 |
7 |
3 |
15 |
32-50 |
24 |
Relegation/promotion play-offs |
|
17 |
Alianza Universidad |
25 |
6 |
6 |
13 |
24-43 |
23 |
[1] Relegation to Second Division |
|
18 |
Cusco FC |
25 |
5 |
8 |
12 |
41-46 |
22 |
[1] Relegation to Second Division |
Q – Qualified for the play-offs
AW – Stage 1 (Apertura) Winners
CW – Stage 2 (Clausura) Winners
R – Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) drawing of lots; 5) play-off (only if needed to decide teams for relegation)
[1] Universitario de Deportes, Universidad de San Martín, Cienciano, Alianza Universidad, Sport Boys, Cusco FC, and Deportivo Municipal have been all deducted 1 point in the aggregate table for financial irregularities.
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