Cusco Edge Past Cusqueño in Tight Clausura Encounter
Cusco claimed a 2-1 victory over Cusqueño at home in the seventh round of the Clausura, moving level on points with their hosts in the table. The away side took the lead through Lucas Colitto's tenth-minute strike before Carlos Garces restored parity for the hosts early in the second half. A second-half own goal from Santiago D. Arias Fierro proved decisive, and the match was further complicated when O. Valenzuela was sent off after collecting two yellow cards in quick succession.
Cusqueño started brighter and controlled more of the ball, but it was Cusco who struck first. Colitto's finish caught the home defence sleeping, and the visitors held firm until the break. When Cusqueño came out, they pushed forward immediately and Garces capitalised on a chance in the forty-seventh minute. Things came to a head shortly after when Arias Fierro turned his own net against his side, and Cusco added insult to injury when Garces missed a penalty in the sixty-third minute.
The red card for Valenzuela changed the complexion of the contest, though Cusqueño failed to capitalise fully. They had created two big chances throughout the afternoon but could only convert one, while Cusco managed to rescue a point despite playing with ten men for the final six minutes. The away end never stopped, but the performance lacked the sharpness that would have secured a comfortable win.
Statistically, Cusqueño dominated possession at 52 per cent and registered fifteen shots to Cusco's nine, but the shot accuracy figures tell a different story. The hosts managed six shots on target while the visitors found the mark only three times, and both sides created two big chances each. Cusco made more clearances and interceptions despite having less of the ball, a sign of their defensive organisation when under pressure.
The result leaves both sides separated by a single point in the standings, with Cusqueño sitting sixth on thirty-seven points and Cusco seventh on thirty-six. The away side ended a run of four games without a win, while the hosts extended their unbeaten run to two after a difficult period that saw them lose three of their last five matches.
