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It’s hard to believe that someone has given the OK for the arrival of Jeriel de Santis. The forward’s technical limitations are very noticeable and if no one saw it within the entire Alianza, he is a mistake for the entire club, one of those that costs dearly.
Because when Alianza needed the fullness of its men, going out into the field with Jeriel de Santis seems absurd. Although Alejandro Restrepo knows more than everyone we see from the outside and will have the best numbers of what the attacker leaves in training, this is not reflected on the playing field. And worse if you keep it for 76 minutes and they don’t take it out when three previous variations have been made.
It is clear that the intimates have a deficit in attack with the losses of Pablo Sabbag – injured since the beginning of the year – and Cecilio Waterman, but from the first minute it was clear that De Santis was not even close to the ideal substitute. And although Hernán Barcos does not need to have a good night to score, today he is not enough for what the intimate team needs.
And the blue and white fan suffers when seeing how Alianza plays its best first 25 minutes of the year, but the result dictates that Cerro Porteño won 1-0 (headed goal on a stopped ball).
It’s just that Serna alone is not enough for Alianza. His efforts have no results if Barcos does not manage to get it in the area and if he encounters the impression of De Santis.
It’s worse if Zambrano gets desperate just in the first half and goes against the player before the ball in almost every play. He plays on the edge of being the same as before (the one with the warnings) and that is a risk.
And the intimate fan suffers more because there have already been 20 games without being able to win at home. Since that 1-0 defeat to Nacional of Uruguay in 2012 – a goal by José Carlos Fernández at the National Stadium – the blue and white fans have not been able to celebrate a victory at home. Except in Matute where they haven’t won since 2010.
There are 20 games without winning at home: thirteen defeats and seven draws that served as consolation but do not add up to the intentions that the Victorian team should have.
With only three points, thinking about the second round seems like a utopia for Alianza Lima: Cerro reached five, Fluminense has 5 and Colo Colo 4 (these last two face each other today). And the consolation prize of the Sudamericana would even seem like a lot of prize.
There was better control in the second half, but with the same script: waiting for an inspiration from Serna, but the wear and tear was noticeable and with it the wrong crosses. And he no longer has the intimate picture.
But it was the stopped ball that ‘saved’ the night. A free kick into the area found the head of Barcos to make it 1-1 in the 79th minute. A release that was exciting for the end of the match, but that only served to avoid defeat.
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Source: Elcomercio
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a keen interest in sports and have written for many different publications. I am currently working as an author at 24 News Recorder. I cover mostly sports news but also write about other topics such as current affairs and politics. I have a strong interest in social media and how it can be used to engage with audiences.
