Why the Lion of the South roared again and won the Apertura | CHRONICLE

It was the exemplarity of someone who tried so hard that he didn’t have to pray at the last minute. Still, the course of the match was uncertain. Alianza Atlético, an entertainer who deflated in the middle of the tournament, set himself the honorable task of not being shouted champion to his face. The game, then, became friction.

Knowing that in 72 hours they will dispute the pass to the quarterfinals of the Copa Sudamericana, Néstor Lorenzo sent the best he had to the field. Roar on both fronts. That has been the slogan in all these months. But the red and black, who are not made of metal, suffered wear and perhaps pressure. For the first time in a long time they were seen as unconnected.

At 10 minutes, Alec Deneumostier He went very vehemently to fight an aerial ball and headed the Paraguayan’s neck Adrian Fernandez, who vanished on the lawn of Melanio Coloma. For six minutes, the only thing that mattered was Fernández’s health. Your partner Franco Zanelato She shed tears thinking the worst.

Incompetence, yes, in the organization to attend quickly to the affected and poor judgment of their colleagues. Instead of giving him space, they surrounded him, taking away ventilation. On top of that, the ambulance was late. Fortunately, it was later learned that the Paraguayan reacted at a local clinic, and that he was treated rigorously. The diagnosis: mild head trauma.

Deneumostier was shocked, naturally. In the stoppages of the second half, in an unnecessary foul, he swept Kevin Ruiz and earned a ticket to the showers, with the second yellow card. Meanwhile, in Villa El Salvador, Sport Huancayo tied at one with Sport Boys, a result that gave the Arequipa team the title.

To make matters worse, the Argentine Orzan, one of the midfield valves, left injured at 39 ‘. The panorama looked ugly, but it was there that Melgar showed what he was made of. Archimbaud, the son of ‘Lalo’, showed his credentials and made sure the team didn’t miss Orzán. In addition, he brought out the figure of Carlos Caceda, an archer who wants to continue being a “selection goalkeeper”. He put out a few this afternoon. Enough to complete his task with an outstanding grade.

This time Bernard Cuesta, Melgar’s historic scorer who has pending accounts with the Lima press, was not that ‘9’ that provokes terror in his defenders. But with his chassis he was enough to hold the ball and support his team. The same Iberico and Quevedo in the final minutes. Sport Huancayo beat Sport Boys 3-2 and sat down to wait for the miracle. But the miracle never came.

Melgar stood in a corner with the ball and no one snatched it from him. He is the deserved champion of the Apertura. The one who did things the best in the first half of the year. In three days he will face a new challenge with the same men: eliminate Deportivo Cali, advance to the quarterfinals of the Sudamericana and unleash madness in Arequipa. Lorenzo deserves that ending. Let nothing disturb it. And may the city tremble with happiness.