“Serna, freer, more comfortable, was the figure of the Restrepo team”: Eddie Fleischman’s analysis of Alianza’s draw in its debut in the Libertadores

Alianza Lima’s debut in the Copa Libertadores de América, against none other than the current champion Fluminense of Rio de Janeiro, and there was an undeniable fear that Alianza Lima would come out very badly in this first match. Well, there was a tie, in a passing match for the team led by the Colombian Alejandro Restrepo. Alianza Lima had a very good first half against Fluminense, the coach seems to be finding pieces that give him answers but above all he operated some tactical and positional variants that allowed Alianza to perform better. A first half where they led 1-0.

The first positional variant appeared on the wings. He no longer put Kevin Serna on the right as a winger, coach Restrepo, sacrificing him, because he does not feel the position and the ball recovery function and placed Huamán as the right back. On the left he kept Freytes, good level, he is a player accustomed to the position. In the middle was Castillo in the position along with Rodríguez and Catriel Cabellos, the 19-year-old young man who came from Racing and has Argentine-Peruvian nationality, who has personality, character, moves forward, and has international dynamics. Panamanian Cecilio Waterman and Kevin Serna were in the attack. He will be in a position that feels more comfortable, looser, freer and less forced to recover the ball.

As he had Huaman further back, Kevin Serna played looser, as one of the two forwards alongside Waterman and precisely in the first stage, a good individual maneuver by Kevin Serna allowed Alianza with a diagonal that he threw from the left towards the middle open the scoreboard. There was surprise because the score in favor of Alianza was deserved. Alianza had generated more situations, not many, but it had been more effective than Fluminense. Alianza managed it, it supported it, it is true that the Brazilian cast came with some reserves, Marcelo, Felipe Melo, Renato Augusto, the Colombian Arias were in the starting team, Cano, Ganso, Kennedy and Diego Barboza were not up front, absences that weigh on the Rio team, but in the second stage the level of the intimate team declined. Coach Restrepo wanted to support it with the entry of Zanelatto for Serna so that there is a little oxygenation in the middle of the field. The same was sought with another variant, the presence of Aldair Fuentes, who has a mark and entered to sustain the game a little. Marquinho gave Fluminense the tie on a stopped ball.

A tie that reflects what happened on the field. Alianza Lima had a more balanced proposal, it worked better, it was combative, it had the attitude to go to the international competition and face the current champion and stand up to it. What comes will depend on Restrepo’s team consolidating what has been advanced and being able to replicate it against Cerro Porteño and Colo Colo. It is undoubtedly an auspicious start for the Peruvian teams, beating in the case of the U the champion of the Sudamericana and in the case of Alianza tying the Champion of the Libertadores for this Peruvian football after the last decade of international tournaments, as a start it’s not bad at all

Eddie Fleischman, columnist for Deporte Total at El Comercio, comments on the tie and Kevin’s performance on the field.

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