10-man Peru hold on for 0-0 draw with Ecuador

Peru goalkeeper Salomon Libman saved a penalty as his 10-man

team easily held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw Tuesday in a friendly

international.

Libman’s penalty block was one of three first-half saves that

kept his team in the Copa America tuneup match played on neutral

turf at ADO The Hague’s Kyocera Stadium.

Dutch referee Eric Braamhaar awarded the spot kick and sent off

Christian Ramos after the defender used his hand to save a

goal-bound header in the 22nd minute.

Libman then dived to his right to save Ecuador captain Walter

Ayovi’s penalty.

Despite being a man down, Peru pressed forward in the second

half and came close to stealing the match thanks to a 78th-minute

shot by Luis Advincula just two minutes after he came on as a

substitute.

Advincula’s shot, tipped just wide by goalkeeper Maximo

Banguerra, was Peru’s best effort on goal since the fourth minute

when Paolo Guerrero nearly dispossessed Banguerra to score after a

lazy backpass.

Libman pulled off his first good save from a 14th-minute free

kick by Cristian Noboa and in the 35th he rushed off his line to

deny Edson Montano. Montano squandered another good chance just a

minute later when he blasted over the bar from 12 meters out.

Taking advantage of its extra man before the break, Ecuador

continued to push forward and Isaac Mina nearly slid the ball home

at the far post after Jefferson Montero fired a low shot across the

face of the goal from a quickly taken corner.

Immediately after the break, Jaime Ayovi surged into the box for

Ecuador but his shot was blocked and his team rarely threatened

after that as Peru refused to sit back and play for a draw. Lone

striker Claudio Pizarro repeatedly threatened the shaky Ecuador

defense without managing to get a clear shot on goal.

The Werder Bremen forward was back in the Peru team for his

first match in more than three years. He was given an 18-month ban

for allegedly partying in a hotel after a World Cup qualifier in

2007. The ban was later reduced on appeal to three months.

—-

Lineups:

Ecuador: Maximo Banguera, Osvaldo Minda, Jorge Guagua, Isaac

Mina, Cristian Noboa (Juan Paredes, 69), Mario David Quiroz, Luis

Saritama, Jefferson Montero (Pablo Palacios, 84), Jaime Ayovi,

Edson Montano, Walter Ayovi (Giovanny Nazareno, 69).

Peru: Salomon Libman, Giancarlo Carmona (Renzo Revoredo, 60),

Santiago Acasiete, Christian Ramos, Walter Vilchez, Rinaldo

Cruzado, Jean Tragodara (Gonzalez, 60), Michael Guevara (Jesus

Rabanal, 30), Juan Vargas (Carlos Lobaton, 60), Paolo Guerrero

(Luis Advincula, 75), Claudio Pizarro.