Felucho's goal gave Cusco FC a narrow win over ADT

Cusco FC - ADT Tarma 1-0 (1-0)

F. Rodríguez 19'

Saturday, 2 September 2023, 3:15 pm local time (8:15 pm UTC), Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Stadium, Cusco, Peru, the 12th round of Clausura, Peruvian First Division (Liga 1).

Tough game for Cusco FC, which absolutely needed to win, to save the season and their manager's head, because 2 wins in 10 matches is not exactly the record expected for the first half of Clausura. Their last win came more than a month ago, on 28 July, 3-0 over Academia Cantolao. The situation was pretty much the opposite for ADT Tarma, which had a great run of 10 matches unbeaten, pretty much the whole tournament except for the first round.

The home side started the game well, and attacked convincingly. It did not take long to score. A collective action on the right side, in which Olivares, Vidales, Estrada and Rodríguez combined, led to a decisive assist from Estrada to Felipe "Felucho" Rodríguez who managed a perfect shot to the upper far corner: 1-0 (19').

Felipe Rodríguez, with a new haircut, scored the only goal of the game. Photo source: Futbol Peruano

Unfortunately for Cusco FC, this was the end of their offensive actions. Gradually, the visitors noticed that they can have the initiative in this game and they did so, while Cusco FC retreated almost fully in defence and tried something (not much) on counterattacks.

ADT Tarma already had some opportunities before the end of the first half, among which a shot by Estrada who almost scored against his own team, but luckily Ferreyra saved. However, it was in the second half that ADT Tarma took full control of the game and their attacks intensified, and the number of chances grew continuously.

It is almost a miracle that Cusco FC were able to maintain their narrow advantage. Ferreyra saved many shots, but many of the chances were simply missed by the ADT forwards. The closest of them all was Perlaza, whose header went into the side post (51'). The clearest chance belonged to Mimbela, all alone inside the 6 yard box, who headed above the crossbar from a position where it is more difficult to miss than to score (75').

Cusco FC struggled a lot, especially after Gordillo got injured and had to be replaced (57'), given that there was no other left back on the bench, and Estrada had to move from the right to the left to cover the area. Their only consistent counterattack finished with Felucho's shot over the crossbar from outside the box (70'). Rolando Díaz had a nice action in the final minutes, but he was too individualist, did not pass when he should, and lost the ball.

This is nevertheless almost nothing compared to the large numbers of opportunities missed by the visitors. In similar previous encounters, against Alianza Lima and FBC Melgar, Cusco FC had 1-0 and defended fiercely as well, but they were eventually equalized in stoppage time. It is true that they also played in 10 because a player had been sent off. This time, no red card, but still the same ultra-defensive tactics, which is not comprehensible by the average fan. The result, the win, was very important. And it eventually happened. In the next round, two weeks from now, Cusco FC will play their last Cusco derby of the season, against Deportivo Garcilaso, technically away, practically on the same stadium. In the same round, ADT will face Sport Huancayo at home.

Full results (so far), tables and fixtures:

 

Round 12 (2-10 September 2023)

 

Alianza Atlético – Carlos A. Mannucci 1-1

Cusco FC – ADT Tarma 1-0

Sport Huancayo – Deportivo Binacional 3-1

UTC Cajamarca – Deportivo Garcilaso 0-0

Universidad César Vallejo – Atlético Grau

Academia Cantolao – Alianza Lima

Cienciano – FBC Melgar

Sport Boys – Sporting Cristal

Universitario de Deportes – Deportivo Municipal

Unión Comercio bye

 

Clausura table

 

1	Sporting Cristal	10	7	3	0	22-6	24	Qualified for the play-offs
2	Universitario de Deportes	11	6	4	1	17-7	22
3	Sport Huancayo	11	6	3	2	18-8	21
4	Alianza Lima	11	5	5	1	8-3	20
5	Deportivo Garcilaso	11	5	4	2	20-12	19
6	FBC Melgar	11	5	4	2	18-10	19
7	ADT Tarma	11	5	4	2	12-10	19
8	Carlos A. Mannucci	12	4	3	5	10-14	15
9	Sport Boys	11	4	3	4	9-13	15
10	Cienciano	10	3	4	3	9-9	13
11	UTC Cajamarca	12	2	7	3	11-12	13
12	Cusco FC	11	3	4	4	10-12	13
13	Deportivo Binacional	11	4	0	7	16-22	12
14	Unión Comercio	11	3	3	5	12-19	12
15	Universidad César Vallejo	11	3	2	6	11-15	11
16	Academia Cantolao	10	3	1	6	8-15	10
17	Alianza Atlético	11	2	3	6	9-14	9
18	Atlético Grau	10	2	3	5	8-16	9
19	Deportivo Municipal	10	1	0	9	7-18	3

 

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 13 (15-17 September 2023)

 

Atlético Grau – UTC Cajamarca

Carlos A. Mannucci – Academia Cantolao

FBC Melgar – Alianza Atlético

Deportivo Binacional – Cienciano

Deportivo Municipal – Universidad César Vallejo

Deportivo Garcilaso – Cusco FC

Sporting Cristal – Universitario de Deportes

ADT Tarma – Sport Huancayo

Alianza Lima – Unión Comercio

Sport Boys bye

 

Aggregate table (Apertura + Clausura)

 

1	Alianza Lima (AW)	29	19	5	5	45-19	62	Qualified for the play-offs & CL
2	Sporting Cristal	28	16	11	1	55-24	59	Qualified for the play-offs & CL
3	Universitario de Deportes	29	17	5	7	46-21	56	Qualified for Copa Libertadores
4	Sport Huancayo	29	14	6	9	48-33	48	Qualified for Copa Libertadores
5	Cusco FC	29	13	6	10	34-34	45	Qualified for C. Sudamericana
6	FBC Melgar	29	11	11	7	42-32	44	Qualified for C. Sudamericana
7	Deportivo Garcilaso **	29	11	11	7	52-39	43	Qualified for C. Sudamericana
8	Carlos A. Mannucci	30	12	6	12	27-32	42	Qualified for C. Sudamericana
9	ADT Tarma	29	10	10	9	35-33	40
10	Univ. César Vallejo	29	10	8	11	36-38	38
11	Cienciano	28	10	7	11	32-37	37
12	UTC Cajamarca	30	7	13	10	27-34	34
13	Sport Boys	29	9	6	14	22-39	33
14	Atlético Grau	28	8	8	12	39-37	32
15	Alianza Atlético	29	8	8	13	41-47	32
16	Unión Comercio	29	8	7	14	36-59	31
17	Deportivo Binacional	29	9	3	17	44-56	30	Relegation to Second Division
18	Deportivo Municipal *	28	8	3	17	26-39	22	Relegation to Second Division
19	Academia Cantolao	28	5	4	19	17-51	19	Relegation to Second Division

 

* Deportivo Municipal have been deducted 5 points for financial irregularities.

** Deportivo Garcilaso have been deducted 1 point.

AW – Apertura 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)