Cusco FC - Cienciano 0-0
Sunday, 16 July 2023, 5 pm local time (10 pm UTC), Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Stadium, Cusco, Peru, the 4th round of Clausura, Peruvian First Division (Liga 1).
Many people came to see the local derby between Cusco FC (hosts, technically speaking) and Cienciano. Many of them left disappointed. The match was pretty much over quite early in the game (18'), when the referee (mistakenly adviced by the VAR referee) decided to send off Federico Alonso (Cusco FC) for a rough tackle on Carlos Garcés (Cienciano). The tackle was rough indeed, but Alonso touched the ball first and only afterwards the foot of Garcés, who arrived second and got slightly caught by the Cusco FC defender. The referee, who was just a meter away, initially did not award anything, not even a foul, but then was called by the VAR referee, who thought that there was a malicious intention from Alonso. This is something that we will never know. The referee watched the action for several times in slow motion and after two minutes or so, he decided that Alonso was guilty and showed him the red card.
The most important moment of the game: referee Augusto Menéndez called to review the action of Federico Alonso (Cusco FC), who was eventually sent off. Photo source: Cienciano Facebook page
Not much had been played before this, but afterwards the game became extremely boring. Cusco FC, down to ten men, also lost their best attacking player, Felucho Rodríguez (injured, unfortunately), who was substituted by Jonathan Bilbao, a third centre back, who actually took the place of Alonso in the defensive line. So, Cusco FC played with five defenders from the very beginning of the game, but gave up all offensive ambitions once they remained in ten. It is also interesting to note that Cusco FC had no foreign player in the field for 40 minutes, between the 21st and 61st minute, because the two foreign players who started the game were out: Alonso sent off and Rodríguez substituted. In the 61st minute, Panamanian Abdiel Ayarza came in as the only available foreign player, given that Fajardo is still out with the Panama national team (losing the Gold Cup final to Mexico) and Da Luz was unavailable.
Cienciano had all the reasons in the world to win this game easily, as they were practically at home (Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Stadium is the home ground for both teams), had one man up, the crowd mostly behind them and Cusco FC in the most difficult position imaginable, with their best players out or unavailable for various reasons.
Nonetheless, Cienciano proved to be unable to take any sort of benefit out of such a situation. They attacked more or less continuously, but they simply could not find the way to get through the very organised Cusco FC defense.
Gerson Barreto (Cusco FC) with the ball, surrounded by Cienciano players. Photo source: Cusco FC Facebook page
Garcés had a shot, but went wide (25') and a header by Evangelista also passed pretty close to the post (37'). Cusco FC replied very rarely on the counterattack. In the first half, they only had one such opportunity just before the break, and Guivín even scored, but the goal was cancelled for a previous foul on a Cienciano defender.
Luis Garro (Cienciano, in red) and Nelinho Quina (Cusco FC) fight for the ball. Photo source: Cienciano Facebook page
The second half was equally boring. Cienciano were the practical definition of impotence in football. Cusco FC only tried to fragment the game, to give the ball away anywhere, and to waste as much time as possible. Several chances emerged towards the end of the game. Newly-entered Abdiel Ayarza (Cusco FC) was well found by Gordillo's cross, but his header was poor (75'). In the other box, desperate attempts were made by Cienciano players, to no avail. A couple of headers from Danilo Carando went slightly above (81' and 89') and a shot by Evangelista, also wide (87'), were the biggest opportunities for Cienciano.
After the game, Cusco FC celebrated their 14th anniversary, and the draw was considered almost as good as a win, given the circumstances.
Cusco: Ferreyra - Estrada, Alonso, Benincasa, Quina, Gordillo - Vidales (Uribe 80'), Barreto, Guivín (Aucca 61'), F. Rodríguez (Bilbao 21') - Olivares (Ayarza 61'). Manager: Pablo Peirano.
Cienciano: Vargas - Garro (Córdova 78'), Beltrán, Riojas, Evangelista, Quintana (Hurtado 58') - Ojeda, Solís (Santillán 89'), La Torre (Carando 58'), Pacheco - Garcés (Romagnoli 78'). Manager: Gerardo Ameli.
Referee: Augusto Menéndez.
Yellow cards: Estrada 13', Olivares 61', Ferreyra 87' - Riojas 45'+1', Solís 54'.
Red card: Alonso 18'.
It is also interesting to note that several former important players of Cusco FC (or Real Garcilaso) played for Cienciano, such as Danilo Carando and Ivan Santillán, who both came in the second half. However, the most important player for the entire Cusco FC history, Alfredo Ramúa, did not play for Cienciano, as his contract transfer this summer included a clause which did not allow him to play against his former team. The reverse is also true, as several former Cienciano players did play for Cusco FC this time, such as Ferreyra, Estrada or Ayarza.
In the next round, Cienciano will face Sport Huancayo at home on Friday, while Cusco FC will play away at Alianza Atlético de Sullana on Saturday.
Full results, tables and fixtures:
Round
4 (14-17
July 2023)
UTC
Cajamarca – Alianza Atlético 1-1
Universitario
de Deportes – Unión Comercio 2-0
Deportivo
Garcilaso – ADT Tarma 1-2
Sporting
Cristal – Carlos A. Mannucci 3-2
Universidad
César Vallejo – Academia Cantolao 2-1
Atlético
Grau – Deportivo Binacional 2-1
Sport
Boys – Alianza Lima 1-0
Cusco
FC – Cienciano 0-0
Deportivo
Municipal – FBC Melgar 0-1
Sport
Huncayo bye
Clausura
table
|
1
|
FBC Melgar
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
10-2
|
10
|
Qualified for the play-offs
|
|
2
|
Universitario
de Deportes
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
9-2
|
10
|
|
|
3
|
Sporting
Cristal
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
8-2
|
10
|
|
|
4
|
Sport
Boys
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
4-2
|
9
|
|
|
5
|
Deportivo
Garcilaso
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
9-5
|
7
|
|
|
6
|
Sport
Huancayo
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
5-1
|
7
|
|
|
7
|
Alianza
Lima
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
3-1
|
7
|
|
|
8
|
Cienciano
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
6-3
|
6
|
|
|
9
|
Carlos
A. Mannucci
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
4-4
|
6
|
|
|
10
|
ADT
Tarma
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
4-5
|
6
|
|
|
11
|
Universidad
César Vallejo
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
3-6
|
6
|
|
|
12
|
Cusco
FC
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
3-4
|
4
|
|
|
13
|
Deportivo
Municipal
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
3-3
|
3
|
|
|
14
|
UTC
Cajamarca
|
4
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
4-5
|
3
|
|
|
15
|
Academia
Cantolao
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
3-8
|
3
|
|
|
16
|
Atlético
Grau
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
2-8
|
3
|
|
|
17
|
Alianza
Atlético
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
2-6
|
1
|
|
|
18
|
Deportivo
Binacional
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
2-9
|
0
|
|
|
19
|
Unión
Comercio
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
1-9
|
0
|
|
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
5 (21-24
July 2023)
Unión
Comercio – Universidad César Vallejo
Cienciano
– Sport Huancayo
Alianza
Atlético – Cusco FC
ADT
Tarma – Atlético Grau
Alianza
Lima – Universitario de Deportes
Academia
Cantolao – UTC Cajamarca
Carlos
A. Mannucci – Sport Boys
FBC
Melgar – Sporting Cristal
Deportivo
Binacional – Deportivo Municipal
Deportivo
Garcilaso bye
Aggregate
table (Apertura + Clausura)
|
1
|
Alianza Lima (AW)
|
22
|
16
|
1
|
5
|
40-17
|
49
|
Qualified for the play-offs & CL
|
|
2
|
Sporting Cristal
|
22
|
12
|
9
|
1
|
41-20
|
45
|
Qualified for the play-offs & CL
|
|
3
|
Universitario de Deportes
|
22
|
14
|
2
|
6
|
38-16
|
44
|
Qualified for Copa Libertadores
|
|
4
|
Cusco FC
|
21
|
11
|
3
|
7
|
27-26
|
36
|
Qualified for Copa Libertadores
|
|
5
|
FBC Melgar
|
22
|
9
|
8
|
5
|
34-24
|
35
|
Qualified for C. Sudamericana
|
|
6
|
Sport Huancayo
|
21
|
10
|
4
|
7
|
35-26
|
34
|
Qualified for C. Sudamericana
|
|
7
|
Universidad César Vallejo
|
22
|
9
|
6
|
7
|
28-29
|
33
|
Qualified for C. Sudamericana
|
|
8
|
Carlos A. Mannucci
|
22
|
10
|
3
|
9
|
21-22
|
33
|
Qualified for C. Sudamericana
|
|
9
|
Deportivo
Garcilaso
|
22
|
8
|
8
|
6
|
41-32
|
32
|
|
|
10
|
Cienciano
|
22
|
8
|
6
|
8
|
29-31
|
30
|
|
|
11
|
ADT
Tarma
|
21
|
7
|
6
|
8
|
27-28
|
27
|
|
|
12
|
Sport
Boys
|
22
|
8
|
3
|
11
|
17-28
|
27
|
|
|
13
|
Atlético
Grau
|
22
|
7
|
5
|
10
|
33-29
|
26
|
|
|
14
|
Alianza
Atlético
|
22
|
6
|
6
|
10
|
34-39
|
24
|
|
|
15
|
UTC
Cajamarca
|
22
|
5
|
9
|
8
|
20-27
|
24
|
|
|
16
|
Deportivo
Municipal *
|
22
|
8
|
3
|
11
|
22-24
|
21
|
*
|
|
17
|
Unión Comercio
|
22
|
5
|
4
|
13
|
25-49
|
19
|
Relegation to Second Division
|
|
18
|
Deportivo Binacional
|
21
|
5
|
3
|
13
|
30-43
|
18
|
Relegation to Second Division
|
|
19
|
Academia Cantolao
|
22
|
3
|
3
|
16
|
12-44
|
12
|
Relegation to Second Division
|
*
Deportivo Municipal have been deducted 6 points for financial
irregularities.
AW
– Apertura
winners
CW
–
Clausura winners
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)
