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.
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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.