Deportivo Binacional and Academia Cantolao played out a 2:2 draw in the opening round of the Segunda División Relegation Group on Thursday. The result leaves both sides with a point after their first meeting in this stage of the competition.
To be fair, the table tells a story that will shape how this group plays out. Binacional sit ninth with sixteen games, two wins, four draws and ten losses — ten points. Cantolao are eighth after sixteen matches as well, but with three victories, five draws and eight defeats for fourteen points.
The recent form adds another layer. Binacional have been heavy losers of late: a 0:0 against Alianza Universidad, then a 0:7 defeat to Sport Huancayo 2, followed by a 1:0 win over Comisiontetas. They have also endured a 1:7 loss to Ayacucho and a 1:8 hammering by Minas in their last five. Cantolao's record reads differently — a 2:2 draw with Universidad San Martín, a 3:2 victory over Deportivo Llacaabamba, then a 0:2 loss to Carlos A. Mannucci. They drew 1:1 with Molinos El Pirata before going down 0:4 to Unión Comercio.
The statistics tell you something about how the game unfolded. Cantolao held 58 per cent possession to Binacional's 42, and they earned six corners against three. Shots on target were 6 for the visitors and 4 for the hosts, with shots off target running at 8 to 5. Cantolao won 19 free kicks to 8, and had 32 throw-ins compared to 17. They also received one red card while the hosts showed four yellow cards without a dismissal.
And here's the thing — many shots with a draw means chances went begging for both sides. Cantolao had more possession and more shots on target, yet they could not find a winner. Binacional weathered the storm and took their points from the counter. By then the result was already decided in the middle of the pitch.
The gap between them remains four points. Eighteen games lie ahead in this group stage, and every point will matter more as the window closes. This was only the beginning, but the pattern is already visible.
