“We have to improve, we have to keep correcting”, started by saying the captain and scorer Bernardo Cuesta after the match that turned out to be anything but what they expected. Then he added, as if it were a war cry: “it’s kill or be killed locally.”
INTERVIEW: “The Arequipeño is proud of Melgar and Melgar is proud of the Arequipeño”
It was too hard a blow. For some, knockout. Finishing the first round with three goals against is difficult to overcome. In fact, only one Peruvian team achieved the epic that Melgar dreams of. According to the statistician, Eduardo Combe, Cristal, in 1993, beat El Nacional 4-0 for the second round of the Copa Libertadores. He had lost 3-0 in Quito. Yes, the same city. Arequipa’s dreams are tied to that coincidence.
Next Wednesday, in Arequipa, not only El Misti will erupt, the city itself will explode in a single breath. In the UNSA, Melgar will go for the feat, no one doubts that. However, it is necessary to watch the first 90 minutes to correct mistakes and not go into battle only with chivalry, but also with arguments. Therefore, we show you what for Total Sport are the three reasons why the ‘Lion of the South’ suffered a spectacular fall during his visit to Ecuador.
Precipitation
Perhaps it is a symptom of inexperience for playing its first international semifinal in its history. But Melgar sinned in Ecuador and against a rival who knows about this type of definition in recent years. Independiente del Valle already has two finals to its credit: Libertadores 2016 (lost to Atlético Nacional) and Sudamericana 2019 (beat Colón de Santa Fe, directed by Pablo Lavallén).
The ‘Domino’, fueled by that competitive mentality that he has been showing in recent years, wanted to play one-on-one with the Sangolquí team and in his own home. Without noticing that the cast of Martin Anselmi did not lose any local game that he played in international tournaments this year (three for Libertadores and 3 for Sudamericana). That is, without measuring consequences.
This Melgar, who on his visit had only lost to Racing in the group stage -he tied with Cali and Inter 0-0 in the eighth and quarter, respectively-, this time he did not know how to be the best rival away from home.
He did not think about the 180 minutes, but about the first 90, in the present. She was brave, yes; but also rushed. And he left open spaces for the Independiente forward, very fast and mobile, to devour a banquet. First it was Schunke, then Faravelli who had already wasted an incredible opportunity at the start, and lastly Diaz with a great counterattack goal. These last two goals in just three minutes, at 67 and 69.
lack of goal
In recent games, after scoring three goals against Cantolao and two against Carlos Stein and San Martín, it seemed that the lack of efficiency in front of the goal was a mistake corrected for Melgar. It was part of the past. However, in Quito, in the blow against blow that he proposed, the game was defined in the areas and that is where the Arequipa team failed -and a lot-.
Pablo Lavallén’s team lacked the last pass to the net to change history. Martín Pérez Guedes must still be lamenting the one-on-one he failed at 44 minutes, with the game 1-0 down. Kenji Cabrera also had his chance on a ball that he picked up after Luis Iberico was unable to connect from the left – he had to try with his right foot, his weak leg – a pass behind Cuesta.
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Bordering the hour of play, still with only a goal advantage, Alexis Arias also came close to scoring. Although this time it was luck that was not on the Peruvian side. The ‘Chaka’ headed in a precise cross from Luis Iberico and the ball hit the post. On another occasion he might have entered the goal, but this time he shot out into midfield.
The 3-0 not only hurts because of the loose difference, but because Melgar has revived the ghosts of the lack of definition. He had seven shots and only two went on goal, another two blocked and three went wide. Something similar happened against Inter in Arequipa, with 20 shots, 9 of them on target, but the game ended 0-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals.
This time he has to do at least three in Arequipa if he wants to continue dreaming of the final. You’ll make it? You need to sharpen your aim.
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errors in defense
Melgar went from being still alive, by a tight 1-0, to conceding two goals in just three minutes. And that, without a doubt, is part of a poor defensive job at that point in the game. Also accompanied by the despair of tying it and the failures in the definition. The complete combo that ended in tragedy.
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Independiente del Valle finished off 23 times, of which 10 shots went on goal. He even had chances to extend his lead. He took advantage of the left wing in which Lavallén had to put the right-handed center-back Matías Lazo instead of the full-back Paolo Reyna. And that was noticed. On that side came the center for Schunke to head solo and put the first.
The other two goals were counterattacks in the 67th and 69th minutes. Independiente del Valle took advantage of the speed of their attacking men against the slowness of the Arequipa central defenders. Everything conspired so that the result is so bulky and the return has, at least in the previous one, dyes of feat.