“Full matute is hell” and “there are players who see it and wrinkle”: an analysis of the influence of La Caldera on the classics

The data was blunt, like a knockout blow. “With more than half a season of Liga 1 ahead, the largest club in Peru also set a new box office record by reaching the figure of 23’159, 816.34 million soles, surpassing S/22,670, 924.86 million collected in the remarkable 2022 campaign.” It was an official statement from the club Lima Alliance on his website, where he gave an account of the unconditional relationship he has with his fans, who sell out tickets in hours. This season, in which he was already champion of the Apertura, there was not a single game in which he did not play with the capacity of Alejandro Villanueva full from boat to boat (some 27,000 average innings).

A boiler. A hell.

Alianza Lima’s duel against Universitario will take place on Saturday, July 22, starting at 8:30 pm (Peruvian time), at that stadium, the Alejandro Villanueva de La Victoria. The Blue and Whites, current two-time champions, will seek to win again in front of thousands of their fans after falling in a surprise result against Sport Boys, for their part, the eternal rival has just lost 1-2 against Corinthians, in what their elimination from the Copa Sudamericana playoffs, however, in League 1 they share the lead with Sporting Cristal and Melgar, with 10 points, three points behind the compadre.

Tickets for this meeting sold out, we asked former champion soccer players with the blue and white how influential Matute is full, in circumstances in which rumors about changes and departures hit the intimate dressing room:

Can full stadiums like Matute/La Caldera really win games? Because?

Fernando Martel – Former Alianza Lima player

“No, friend, if you don’t have players with personality and the desire to want to win, whether it’s full or empty, it’s very difficult. You can have the best team in the world, but if you don’t have attitude… you don’t win. For me, a full stadium is an incentive to run, to score, to look for the ball, but sometimes it hurts, because there are players who crinkle when they see the field like this, full and they have to be put in diapers, on the other hand, there are others who bring out the best of their personality in a full stadium”.

Erick Osores -journalist and host at ESPN

“I grew up, in my 46 years, first with full stadiums. National full, triplets, always full house. Atmosphere. Feeling that anything can happen. Later, with time, the Peruvian championship really became a lonely championship, with few fans, two or three thousand people, games with half a full field. So, not valuing what is happening today, in Matute, with the Alianza Lima fans cannot be overlooked. Today, playing in Matute, is getting into a field where you are half zero down from the serve. It’s really hell going to Matute for any team”.

Rodrigo Pérez – Former Alianza Lima player

“The stadiums can have an atmosphere of generating pressure on the rival due to the number of people, but the result depends on the players. A full stadium can motivate you, but it doesn’t solve game situations”.

Jesús Mestas – Journalist identified with AL

“Matute will always be Alianza’s number 12 player, the pressure felt at game time is important. He motivates the player and brings out that extra that is needed to win. In addition, the proximity of the four stands to the field also plays in Alianza’s favor. Remember why the Argentines baptized Matute as La Caldera. I think that in Matute sometimes the stands win the games”.