Cusco FC finished the Apertura in third place, their best result in 7 years

Cusco FC - Sport Huancayo 3-0 (2-0)

Callejo 13', 36', Tévez 80' (penalty)

Sunday 13 July 2025, 6:30 pm local time (11:30 pm UTC), Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Stadium, Cusco, Peru, 19th (last) round of Apertura, Peruvian First Division (Liga 1).

Just as they prepared to celebrate their 15th birthday, Cusco FC finished the Apertura in third place, their best since 2018, when they were still called Real Garcilaso and finished the Apertura also in third place. For an even better result, one should move one more year ahead of that, in 2017, when Real Garcilaso (currently Cusco FC) finished the Apertura as runners-up, as well as the entire season.

One should say that this the result of a good management, and the stability of the management, led by manager Miguel Rondelli (who is in charge of the team for more than a year and a half) has paid off. Cusco FC had excellent results, finishing the Apertura with a streak of 3 consecutive wins and 9 consecutive matches in which they were unbeaten.

In the last round of Apertura, they thrashed Sport Huancayo 3-0 at home, and looked very good in front of a possible rival for a place in the next year continental competitions. The match started with Cusco FC building carefully every offensive action. A long cross from Colitto on the right to Fuentes in the box was deemed offside, anyway Fuentes missed the target. But the next action, very similar to this, was no offside: Lucas Colitto crossed the same way, and this time Facundo Callejo was there to head it in: 1-0 (13').

 Facundo Callejo headed the ball in for the first goal of the game. Photo source: Cusco FC Facebook page

A few minutes later, the same Callejo won the one-on-one dispute with Yonatan Murillo, but was tackled by Murillo right before entering the box, all alone with the goalkeeper. The referee initially showed the yellow card for Murillo, but then the VAR called the referee, who changed his mind, and sent Murillo off with a red card, because he was the last defender and impeded a clear action leading to a goal (20').

With one man down, Sport Huancayo had even more trouble in defending and gave up almost any offensive action, especially after striker Janio Pósito was replaced by defender Marcelo Gaona (28'), a substitution meant to strengthen the defense. It had almost no impact, because Cusco FC continued to attack dangerously, and eventually Callejo scored again. This time, a more elaborate action was necessary, with the same Colitto advancing into the box, passing with other teammates, before assisting Facundo Callejo, whose shot from the centre of the box was precise: 2-0 (36').

In the second half, Sport Huancayo tried something in the attack right at the beginning, with no success, and then defended carefully, benefitting from a certain lack of concentration on the side of Cusco FC, who were pleased with the result. The home side missed several good opportunities to make it 3-0, but eventually the scoresheet changed again. Hugo Ángeles tackled Carlo Díez inside the box (74'). Initially, the referee let the game continue, but then again he was called up by VAR, resulting in a penalty for Cusco FC. Juan Manuel Tévez converted the penalty and established the final score: 3-0 (80').

 Juan Manuel Tévez converted a penalty to make it 3-0. Photo source: Cusco FC Facebook page

Cusco FC: Díaz - Ruidias, Saravia (Gamarra 84'), Fuentes, Ampuero - Díez, Aucca (Zevallos 84') - Colitto (Da Silva 72'), Colman, N. Silva (Aquino 87') - Callejo (Tévez 72'). Manager: Miguel Rondelli.

Sport Huancayo: Solís - Barboza, Barreda, Murillo, Ángeles - Salcedo, Carabaño (Magallanes 46'), Carranza (Fernández 66'), Sanguinetti (Villar 87') - De Jesús (Huaccha 66'), Pósito (Gaona 28'). Manager: Richard Pellejero.

Referee: Edwin Ordóñez.

Yellow cards: Fernández 76', Gaona 82'.

Red card: Murillo 23'. 

Results and final table of the Apertura:

Round 19 (11-13 July 2025)

 

ADT Tarma – Comerciantes Unidos 1-0

Deportivo Binacional – FBC Melgar 1-1

UTC Cajamarca – Alianza Lima 0-0

Universitario de Deportes – Los Chankas 0-0

Alianza Atlético – Sport Boys 1-0

Sporting Cristal – Atlético Grau 2-1

Ayacucho FC – Cienciano 1-0

Juan Pablo II College – Alianza Universidad 1-0

Cusco FC – Sport Huancayo 3-0

Deportivo Garcilaso bye

 

Final Apertura table

 

1	Universitario de Deportes	18	12	3	3	38-12	39	Qualified for the play-offs
2	Alianza Lima	18	11	4	3	23-11	37
3	Cusco FC	18	10	4	4	34-20	34
4	Alianza Atlético	18	11	1	6	28-18	34
5	Sporting Cristal	18	10	2	6	31-24	32
6	FBC Melgar	18	8	7	3	28-20	31
7	Sport Huancayo	18	9	3	6	23-21	30
8	Deportivo Garcilaso	18	8	3	7	28-19	27
9	ADT Tarma	18	6	6	6	24-30	24
10	Cienciano	18	5	8	5	29-25	23
11	Los Chankas	18	5	8	5	24-25	23
12	Atlético Grau	18	5	7	6	23-24	22
13	Sport Boys	18	5	5	8	26-28	20
14	Juan Pablo II College	18	5	4	9	20-28	19
15	UTC Cajamarca	18	5	4	9	17-34	19
16	Deportivo Binacional	18	4	6	8	20-33	18
17	Ayacucho FC	18	4	3	11	14-27	15
18	Comerciantes Unidos	18	2	5	11	17-31	11
19	Alianza Universidad	18	2	5	11	16-33	11

 

Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) fair-play (according to the number of red and yellow cards); 5) drawing of lots.