Although Universitario de Deportes was the dominant team in the second half, that was also a double-edged sword, as Cusco FC had enough space to counterattack. Thus, in that mano a mano the match being played at the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega stadium went into overdrive and gave us a 1-1 in less than ten minutes.
The play for the partial 1-0 came from the left flank of the 'dorados', where Hideyoshi Arakaki entered in the second half to take advantage of Andy Polo's back. In this way, after a lethal cross into the heart of the box, Mauro Da Luz won the aerial battle and opened the scoring with a precise header in the 81st minute.
Despite the disadvantage, Universitario did not give up and continued to insist in search of the equalizer. The Cusco team made the mistake of believing that everything was already resolved and, by retreating their lines, made it easier for the 'merengues' fullbacks: Andy Polo had enough time to send a venomous ball into the box, where Alex Valera anticipated his marker to score the definitive 1-1 in the 88th minute.
After this match in Cusco territory, Universitario de Deportes will play again next week when they host Sport Huancayo for the nineteenth round of the Clausura 2023 Tournament of the Liga 1 Betsson. Although this match is not yet scheduled, it is known that it will be played at the Monumental stadium and will be exclusively broadcasted for all of Peru on the GOLPERU signal, on channels 14 and 714 HD on the Movistar grid.
Since the 'merengues' are still in the fight for the national title and cannot afford to neglect, they are obliged to win at home to sustain their chances of entering the playoffs. Let's remember that the last time both teams faced each other was in the Apertura, with a victory for the 'Rojo Matador' by 1-0. The only goal of the match was scored by Marco Huamán.
Cusco FC, on the other hand, will also play again next week when they visit Universidad César Vallejo for the 19th round. This match has not yet been scheduled by the Professional Football League, however, it is known that it will take place at the Mansiche stadium and will be broadcasted by Liga 1 MAX for all of Peru, while on Liga 1 Play in its streaming version.
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