November 22, 2023.-Peru tied 1-1 with Venezuela this Tuesday in Lima in the match that closed the sixth round of the South American qualifier for the 2026 World Cup. The ‘Blanquirroja’ opened the scoring through Yoshimar Yotún at 17 minutes, but Jefferson Savarino tied the game for Vinotinto in the 54th minute at the National Stadium, El Comercio.com.pe reported.
With no margin for error, Peru exhibited completely offensive football from the start of the match in the face of the challenge of achieving a first victory that would allow it to climb out of the abyss of the qualifiers. The National Stadium, where more than 38,000 Peruvian and Venezuelan fans gathered, seemed the ideal setting to recover the World Cup dream.
At 8 minutes the first warning sign came, when midfielder Pedro Aquino took a long-distance shot straight to the goal that was saved by goalkeeper Rafael Romo who saved his goal.
As the minutes passed, the Peruvian team began to put their Venezuelan rival in their field, who defended their goal with determination.
The duo between the Italian-Peruvian Gianluca Lapadula and Yoshimar Yotún became a headache for the visit.
At 17, Yotún scored with a header to make it 1-0 for Peru after a cross from the right wing by midfielder Joao Grimaldo. The first Peruvian goal in the qualifying rounds was celebrated at the top of their lungs by the thousands of fans.
After the goal against, Vinotinto began to generate good collective plays to try to tie the match, but ran into a solid red and white defense.
With the skilled forward Yeferson Soteldo and Salomón Rondón they generated threatening counterattacks for goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.
The Peruvian pressure did not stop, taking advantage of the errors in leaving Venezuela. At 36, Grimaldo took a right-footed shot from close range that was saved by Romo.
Despite dominating the match, Peru did not find its second conquest in the first 45.
Source : Aporrea
