[Sport] Illusion of Ecuador against Peru, 21 years after the 'Monumentalazo'

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In Lima, in 2001, La Tri achieved an emotional and important victory to qualify for their first World Cup. History may repeat itself on Tuesday.

Twenty-one years after the illusion of Ecuador is back in Lima, where on June 2, 2001 the Tri got an agonizing, emotional and important 2-1 victory against the Peruvian team at the Monumental de Ate facing the qualifying for their first World Cup (Japan-South Korea 2002) and where on Tuesday, this time at the José Díaz stadium (9:00 p.m.), the Ecuadorian team can seal the ticket to the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

'Monumentalazo', headlined EL UNIVERSO about the Tricolor's first visiting win against the southerners for World Cup qualifiers. "It was one of those games that will never be forgotten."

 

In the Peruvian capital, just at the beginning of the century, Ecuador came in third place in the classification to measure itself with the seventh placed. At the Monumental, coach Julio César Uribe lined up with the locals Miguel Miranda, Nolberto Solano, Miguel Rebosio, Juan Pajuelo, Percy Olivares (Martín Hidalgo, 61 minutes), Juan Jayo, Marko Ciurlizza, Roberto Palacios, Andrés Mendoza (Darío Muchotrigo, 73 minutes), Claudio Pizarro and Flavio Maestri (Roberto Silva, 45 minutes). While for Hernán Darío Gómez's tricolors were José Cevallos, Ulises de la Cruz, Iván Hurtado, Giovanni Espinoza, Raúl Guerrón, Alfonso Obregón (Jorge Guagua, 75 minutes), Edwin Tenorio, Édison Méndez, Kléber Chalá (Juan Francisco Aguinaga , 84 minutes), Agustín Delgado and Iván Kaviedes (Ángel Fernández, 79 minutes).

 

Pizarro put the southerners ahead at minute 1. Méndez capitalized on the visiting momentum at 11 minutes (1-1) and Delgado, in agony, made the Ecuadorian jubilation explode with the goal for the final 2-1 at 90 minutes, when The National Team played with one less due to the expulsion of Kinito (minute 81) and with midfielder Álex Aguinaga as technical director due to a decompensation of the Colombian Gómez.

“Without a doubt, the Ecuadorian victory against Peru will never be forgotten. First, because it was against a rival who took the lead at the beginning of the game. Second, because coach Gómez could not lead from the 10th minute of the supplementary. Third, because he ended up with ten men. And fourth, because Álex Aguinaga, the captain of the Tricolor who could not due to injury, directed when his technical play felt betrayed by the pressure. Guero did well. He gave instructions and was the debutant helmsman to perfection, because he learned the lesson that Bolillo gave him from the very moment that emotion forced him to rest”, summarized this newspaper.

 

"Ecuador's national team today practically fulfilled its ticket to the 2002 World Cup by obtaining a great 1-2 victory over Peru," the international press published at the time. "The Ecuadorians, who have added 25 points and are about to attend the first World Cup in their history, knew how to take advantage of their deadly counterattack to obtain an away victory, against an impetuous Peru but full of defensive errors".

The victory in Lima, which shattered the illusions of the bicolors, instead secured Ecuador in third place and, months later, on November 7, 2001, the Tri got the ticket to the World Cup by equaling 1 in Quito with Uruguay.

‘The atmosphere is very similar’
Juan Carlos Burbano de Lara, a former Ecuadorian national team player who was the starter in the 2002 Japan-South Korea tie and who also went to that World Cup, missed the trip to Lima due to an accumulation of yellow cards; they were ambassadors in the victories against Venezuela (1-2) and Paraguay (2-1), within the previous three days. However, he remembers well the feeling as a member of Gómez's team.

 

“The biggest similarity is the environment. In our time, it was excellent. There was joy, friendship, respect, camaraderie. Amidst various figures, there was an atmosphere of humility. I think that happens with the National Team now, considering their youth and the talent there is. It is very important," the former player told this newspaper on Monday.

Although he remembers it as a happy moment, he also regrets it: “Of course, totally. Now I know that there is an invitation from Professor (Gustavo) Alfaro, a request for Enner Valencia and Dida (Alexander Domínguez) to attend, since they are suspended (due to cards). Let them go to Peru. But this is a more special situation, since qualification for the World Cup would be achieved. At that time, in 2001, we were not yet classified, it was three more points, yes, very important”.

 

Ecuador adds 24 points (+10 goal difference) in third place in the South American qualifier for Qatar 2022. In case of winning on the sixteenth date, the Tri will get the ticket to the World Cup for the fourth time in its history. With the tie, they will have to wait for other results on the same day – especially that of Colombia, which visits Argentina – or in subsequent programs, in which they will face Paraguay and the Albiceleste.

 

Link: https://www.eluniverso.com/deportes/futbol/ilusion-de-ecuador-ante-peru-21-anos-despues-del-monumentalazo-nota/