The great wasted chance: why a tie is not enough to redeem Alianza

There is a disappointment in Matute after the 0-0 with Paranaense, a feeling that has been going on for eleven years, a burden of 30 games that means that the good game that Alianza has not seen for a long time is not celebrated, which leads us to criticize before to highlight what was done by the blue and whites.

How can you measure having drawn against the last finalist of the Libertadores? How would you rate the great game between Jesús Castillo and Carlos Zambrano if it was equal against a Brazilian team that played with ten men in the last fifteen minutes? But it is also worth saying that it is difficult to win his 10 as Christian Cueva only has a filtered pass in the 70 minutes he played, if a winger like Gabriel Costa does not win any one-on-one against his brand, and if Bryan Reyna continues to err the decision final.

Yes, it could have been the game in which the intimates had to break the losing streak of games without winning in the Cup, which has now risen to 30. Up to three turnovers could not be used at the start of the Brazilians, nor was much done with the ball stopped and neither could be done more from the push of men like Sabbag and Franco Zanelatto. While there are huge differences between what one team has and the other, the field is always uphill for any Peruvian.

A world champion advised the technical director of Paranaense. Sitting on the substitute bench for the Brazilian team was Luis Felipe Scolari, winner of the World Cup in 2002. On the field, with the number ‘5’, Fernandinho shone in each split, recalling that only one season ago he was playing the Champions with Manchester City; and above, the ‘9’ was an 18-year-old for whom Barza must pay 45 million euros if they want him in their ranks: Vitor Roque.

And that is why Paranaense was closer to winning it – a shot on the crossbar and five shots on goal. But Alianza also had its chances, more from the push than from the good game, more from the audacity of Reyna and the depth of Andrade, but at this level it costs the goal to the intimate.

—Little daring—

What Bryan’s name would have meant in the history of Alianza if he defined that play at the end of the game with a goal. “This match was to be won”, is the comment of the fan who leaves Matute without knowing whether to celebrate the handing over of the team and the point scored or regret having missed a tremendous opportunity to win.

‘Chicho’ Salas also let it pass. With the expulsion of the Brazilian Thiago Heleno, the coach doubted between going to win it with everything or avoiding a defeat that would have been terrible with the conditions on the field.

Andrade had already taken over the game after entering through the inconsequential Cueva, Zambrano had already closed the defense and Reyna still had physical rest to attack unlike the erratic Costa. But Salas did not redouble the bet. Valenzuela for Castillo and Barcos for Sabbag, man by man when he could be more daring towards the end.

There are 30 games without winning in the Copa Libertadores. It is the bad news that covers any positive assessment. The last finalist was tied, the goal was kept to zero after 23 games, from 0-0 with Boca at the start of the 2018 Cup. A performance in general that says that Paraguay can go fight against Libertad on next April 20.

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