Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

New article: Sampling the High Life - Football in Peru

Hello. With no game at the weekend the forum is a little quieter than usual so here's some new rambling which follows on from my blog on the Maracana.

Overshadowed by its Latin neighbours, Peru isn't high on many to-do lists for football. They haven't reached a World Cup since 1982, games in its highlands are played at snail's pace and violence is rife. There is a lot of fun to be had, though.

image

Take for instance the above ticket office, literally a hole in the wall. Based in Cusco near Machu Picchu, Cienciano only played in local leagues until the 1990s. Enjoying a meteoric rise thereafter, they were unable to lose their bridesmaid's tag in Peru but shocked the continent by beating River Plate to the 2003 Copa Sudamericana, their UEFA Cup equivalent. Boca Juniors were then despatched in the Super Cup.

Times have been tougher since. Now a midtable side, my visit in 2010 was low key. Having put up a message along the lines of 'speak to the goon in the Charlton shirt if you fancy watching a match', a decent number followed me from the hostel on a bright Sunday afternoon for Universitario's arrival. Although excited to play tour guide I was a little worried should something go wrong. I would like to experience tear gas or a water cannon but preferably on my own.

Thankfully the travelling ultras, or barras bravas, were well behaved. Universitario are one of Peru's big sides, 25 times champions and a good number had made the 675 mile trek from Lima into the Andes. After paying £2 to enter and buying my first ever football ground ice cream, I positioned the group along one side with a decent view of the pitch but also of any shenanigans.

image
The away end. Note the dodgy free caps and surrounding hills.

To be honest, my memory of the proceedings is hazy. Cusco is 3,399m/11,152 ft above sea level and that means a lack of oxygen. Play is lethargic, lacklustre and in this case of low quality. It’s hot, too. This however, did not stop the away fans from enjoying themselves. Constantly bouncing, my favourite moments were seeing holes open up among the crowd. Suddenly there'd be an explosion, smoke arose and a dozen people would charge in and dance where the firework had been.

Their antics worked as Universitario took a 1-0 lead into injury time. Tired and bored my group made the fatal error of leaving their tour guide behind. Cienciano of course went on to score an equaliser and I was the only one there to see it.

Comments

  • Brilliant and interesting reads
    "a good number had made the 675 mile trek from Lima into the Andes" most of em prolly all lived in the Andes -RESPECT
  • Great read RP , thats a heck of a bottle of coke in the first picture.
  • Spent a couple of months in Peru and thought this derby looked excellent - great to see a write-up on it.
  • Great article and pictures. Cheers.
  • A great read, brings back memories for me. The wife is Peruvian ( makes for an interesting life -sort of!) she comes from Taraporto town in the north east where the jungle meets the Andes.

    You would think the Cienciano club of Cusco would have a huge advantage at home matches- being acclimatized to the altitude. When they play any clubs from sea leval like Lima there is an 11000 ft difference in altitude.

    Do remember getting headaches from altitude sickness in Cusco, recommend the coca tea, brightens you up no end!
  • Cracking read that Red Panda. Nice one.
  • Great read. I always love seeing how other cultures live. It comes over as 3rd World, but........ is it really?
  • edited November 2014
    Rob said:

    Great read. I always love seeing how other cultures live. It comes over as 3rd World, but........ is it really?

    Cusco in the centre is lovely, quaint and geared towards tourists. However, it can be very dangerous (a friend had a supposed hitman talk to him in a club) and the area around the stadium is rather sketchy.

    Lima, like many Latin cities, is divided. Its centre is modern and has its restaurants, shopping centres etc but when leaving it can take a couple of hours to get out through its vast slums. Crime is rife in many areas.

    The footballing experience definitely errs towards third world but that's what makes it different and enjoyable. Obviously it can be dodgy but stay out of the real loonies and you mostly get curiosity.

    Thanks for the comments and likes. Wearing a Charlton shirt always got odd looks.
  • I was in Cusco a few years ago having lunch on a veranda overlooking the square. A protest started to gather which eventually turned into a mini riot with police wading in. Most enjoyable lunch time entertainment at no additional cost.
  • Sponsored links:


  • .....and the guinea pig was delicious.
  • Solidgone said:

    .....and the guinea pig was delicious.

    Never tried the guinea pig when we were there, the horrible smell to it put me off.
  • Solidgone said:

    .....and the guinea pig was delicious.

    Never tried the guinea pig when we were there, the horrible smell to it put me off.
    I didn't try it. I saw one person with it and it looked disgusting.

    image

    I had llama though, that was nice. Inca Kola is also brilliant.
  • They've gone all out on that salad....
  • Alpaca was a more delicate taste.
  • Great article - brings back happy memories of Cuzco. I saw a few games when I was traveling. The Azteca was a great atmosphere...saw a 3-3 second leg game in their version of the FA Cup & got to see el clásico in La Bombonera,
    Buenos Aires in the Libertadores semi-final Boca v River......mental...fans fighting with police, 3 players sent off, the riot police had to be called on to the pitch to separate the teams/staff fighting each other!
  • RedPanda said:

    Solidgone said:

    .....and the guinea pig was delicious.

    Never tried the guinea pig when we were there, the horrible smell to it put me off.
    I didn't try it. I saw one person with it and it looked disgusting.

    image

    I had llama though, that was nice. Inca Kola is also brilliant.
    That is gross
  • PL54 said:

    RedPanda said:

    Solidgone said:

    .....and the guinea pig was delicious.

    Never tried the guinea pig when we were there, the horrible smell to it put me off.
    I didn't try it. I saw one person with it and it looked disgusting.

    image

    I had llama though, that was nice. Inca Kola is also brilliant.
    That is gross
    You're right, those potatoes should be quartered and filled with cheese and butter.
  • Interesting article mate. I went to South america summer just gone too, incl. Peru and South America. There was a Lima derby on when I was there but I only realised too late to go which was annoying, atmos looked class in the ground. Don't think it was the one you went to though, was a weeknight and think it was a cup game.

    Whose logo is that, it was painted on every wall within about 100 miles of Cusco
  • Interesting article mate. I went to South america summer just gone too, incl. Peru and South America. There was a Lima derby on when I was there but I only realised too late to go which was annoying, atmos looked class in the ground. Don't think it was the one you went to though, was a weeknight and think it was a cup game.

    Whose logo is that, it was painted on every wall within about 100 miles of Cusco

    I've just had to Google that, I didn't see it in 2010. It appears to be for a political party.

    Billboards are likely expensive or perhaps prohibited in some locations, so painting the sides of a house or building (in particular in the countryside) seems to be a common political messaging medium. According the person at our hotel reception desk in Cusco, “APU” is a political party. Voting in Peru is mandatory.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!