With an agonizing goal, Peruvian champion Sporting Cristal beat Arsenal of Argentina 2-1 in Lima in the first leg for the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana 2021 and took the first step to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
The goals of the triumph of the “rimense” box were scored by Alejandro Hohberg at 90 from a penalty and 90 + 8.
Arsenal opened the scoring with both Nicolás Mazzola in the 70th minute.
The series will be defined next Wednesday at the Julio Humberto Grondona stadium in the city of Sarandí. The winner will be measured against the winner of the key between the Uruguayans Peñarol and Nacional who play on Thursday.
No harm
Cristal came out to propose an offensive and disciplined football with a game system (4-2-3-1) to seek victory in the gramado of the National Stadium in Lima.
With the Argentine Marco Riquelme as the only forward and the midfielders Alejandro Hohberg and Christofer Gonzales put pressure on their rival from the first minutes of the match.
But Arsenal began to show their collective football with forward Lucas Albertengo and midfielder Nicolás Castro, who generated counterattacks to try to open the scoring.
At 8 minutes, Albertengo took a right shot that was saved by goalkeeper Alejandro Duarte. After 15, the game went back and forth with arrivals from both teams, but with a lack of definition from their attackers.
‘The celestial machine’ Cristal attacked his Argentine rival with intensity, who formed a good defensive line led by Juan Andrada to keep his goal at zero in the first 45.
With celestial claw
In the second half, Cristal came out determined to try to break the equality with quick collective plays by his players.
At 56, the Argentine-Peruvian midfielder Horacio Calcaterra took a long-distance shot that went deflected from Alejandro Medina’s goal.
‘El Ass’ with Emiliano Papa and Castro sought to partner to reach the Duarte arch.
At 62, coach Sergio Rondina brought in Nicolás Mazzola and Brian Farioli to give his team more depth and seek a good result. With the changes Arsenal proposed a more offensive game.
At 70, Mazzola with a left shot scores 1-0 for Arsenal and breaks the tie between both squads. The goal was reviewed by the VAR, but the referee validated it.
After the goal, Cristal did not lower his arms and went on the attack to equalize the score with three changes made by coach Roberto Mosquera. But Arsenal kept a solid defense not to drop their bow.
At 80, coach Rodina made two more changes to ensure the result. Ecuadorian referee Guillermo Guerrero sanctioned a penalty after checking with the VAR a hand of Arsenal defender Gastón Suso.
At 90, the Peruvian-Uruguayan Alejandro Hohberg scored from the white point 1-1 for Cristal. In additional minutes of the match, Cristal, with great grit, was encouraged to seek victory. At 90 + 8 Hohberg with a left shot scored the 2-1 victory for the ‘beer’.
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Party incidents
61” Change: enters Brian Brian Farioli leaves Valentín Larralde (Arsenal)
62” Change: Nicolás Mario Mazzola enters Bruno Christian Sepúlveda (Arsenal) leaves
68” Yellow card for Nilson Evair Loyola Morales (Sporting Cristal)
69”GOAL! of play by Nicolás Mario Mazzola (Arsenal)
78” Yellow card for Christofer Gonzáles Crespo (Sporting Cristal)
79” Change: Joao Alberto Grimaldo Ubidia enters Irven Beybe Ávila Acero (Sporting Cristal) leaves
79” Change: Carlos Percy enters Liza Espinoza Marcos Daniel Riquelme (Sporting Cristal) leaves
83” Change: Jhon Lorens Marchán Cordero enters, Christofer Gonzáles Crespo (Sporting Cristal) leaves
83” Change: Jorge Alberto Ortiz enters Leonel Marcelo Picco (Arsenal) leaves
83” Change: Alan Nahuel Ruiz enters Lucas Gabriel Albertengo (Arsenal) leaves
89”GOAL! penalty of Alejandro Hohberg González (Sporting Cristal)
91” Yellow card for Nicolás Eduardo Castro (Arsenal)
91” Yellow card for Gastón Suso (Arsenal)
96” Yellow card for Carlos Percy Liza Espinoza (Sporting Cristal)
97”GOAL! of play by Alejandro Hohberg González (Sporting Cristal)
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