Rojo Matador starts with a lead against Paraguay’s Nacional after winning the first leg. We give you the reasons that put him close to qualifying for the Copa Libertadores.
Sport Huancayo has an appointment with history this Tuesday, February 14 in the Copa Libertadores. The team from Huanca traveled to Paraguay with the aim of returning with an international placement and will have to miss out on Nacional, who they defeated 2-1 in the uncontrastable in the first leg. The Red Matador is looking to put behind his poor debut at this tournament, which was a long way off in 2012, and start a new stage in his institutional history. And the only way to be recognized as a cupbearer team that comes out to compete is to overcome this key against an opponent used to this type of fight.
Let’s recall that the first game ended in victory for Rojo Matador thanks to goals from Carlos Escobar and Ronald Huaccha. The winning goal came in the final minutes when the guest suggested a defensive strategy and bet on a draw (1-1). Feliciano Brizuela temporarily adjusted the actions.
Now Sport Huancayo will be on the field in a matter of hours to qualify on Paraguayan soil, a milestone many are hoping will come true.
Experience in international tournaments
Those managed by Mifflin Bermúdez are no strangers to hard-fought games. The Peruvian team has gained a lot of experience in international tournaments. He took part in the Copa Sudamericana for six years in a row (2016 to 2021). His best performance came in 2020 when he reached the round of 16. In 2021 he was in the group stage.
For this 2023, the team has been reinforced with the following foreigners: forward Carlos Escobar, Colombian Donald Millán, coffee winger Juan Pérez and Argentine defender Rodrigo Colombo. Those four were in the starting XI in the first leg and with them on the pitch, the club should take a leap in quality in the Copa Libertadores.
Sport Huancayo won its first Copa Libertadores game. Photo: Sports Huancayo
Triumph of the first leg that increased the emotional part
Debuting at home and winning will always help a team both mentally and emotionally, but there are ways to win. And the way Sport Huancayo did it in the first leg was within the best possible scenarios.
The Red Matador was superior on the field. However, he couldn’t translate it into the result and goals. The draw against Nacional was a hard blow and with minutes to go Ronald Huaccha, who had come on from the bench, completed a magnificent game to ignite the joy of the Incontrastable.
Mifflin Bermúdez’s side have shown they can hurt their rivals and in revenge they have assured that they will not just defend themselves.
“We will try to be protagonists in the good sense of the word, we will take the initiative, we will propose our football because we already showed in Huancayo that we can do it,” he said.
Nurture a core team
Sport Huancayo has managed to maintain a base in recent years where some players have become the backbone of the squad.
Personalities aspiring to the feat in the Copa Libertadores and who are references include Marcos Lliuya, Víctor Balta, Ángel Zamudio, Joel Pinto, Jimmy Valoyes, Luis Benites, among others.
Sports Huancayo vs. National: time and channel of the match
Sport Huancayo vs. Nacional will go head-to-head this Tuesday, February 14 from 7:00 p.m. (Peruvian time) and the engagement will be broadcast on ESPN and Star Plus.