Universitario de Deportes are the 2023 Liga 1 Champions!

Universitario defeated Alianza Lima 2-0 (3-1) on aggregate to win the 2023 Liga 1 Championship. The cremas drew 1-1 in the Monumental this past Saturday with a penalty goal by Alex Valera. Entering this match with a new game feel, the U dominated from start to finish. Edison Flores scored in the 3rd minute while Horacio Calcaterra had an absolute bender goal to seal the deal in the 80th minute. Alianza Lima barely had any threatening shots on goal.

It’s been 2 months since I last wrote on this blog and many things happened since then. The U struggled in the beginning of the Clausura and went on to win the Clausura title. The title win led Universitario to finish 2nd in the aggregate table behind Alianza Lima and qualify directly to both the 2023 Liga 1 Finals and the 2024 Copa Libertadores group stage.

Against all the odds, the U won their 27th title. It was a back and forth year and what made it sweeter is the U winning the title in MatUte.

November 9, 2023 0

Universitario de Deportes win the 2023 Liga Femenina championship for the 10th time!

After losing the 1st leg of the 1-0 in Watuter, Universitario hosted the 2nd leg of the 2023 Liga Femenina Finals in what became a record setting attendance for a South American Women’s Final. 2 late goals sparked the U to their 10th championship in Peruvian women’s football.

After a 0-0 first half, Universitario were doomed with 20 minutes left of the 2nd half with little to no attempts on goal. Stephanie Lacoste, Xiozcana Canales, and Nahomi Martinez had their share of attempts but were easily defended by Alianza Lima.

In the 75th minute, when things look doomed for the Lionesses, Cindy Novoa made a sneak pass from a direct kick to Lacoste who scored the aggregate-tying goal. 5 minutes later, Luz Campoverde scored a bullet from a Novoa pass to go ahead 2-1 on aggregate. Universitario managed to shut down defensively and Annie del Carpio got the clean sheet in what was a dominant goalkeeper performance. The referee blew the final whistle and the U won their 10th women’s title in Peruvian history.

2023 was a dominant year for the Leonas. They finished number 1 all season long and number in the play-off round. After a crucial semifinals and rough 1st leg of the final, the Leonas won the 2023 Liga Femenina title against all odds.

September 3, 2023 0

Universitario vs Corinthians leg 2: Win or go home

Universitario hosts Corinthians for leg 2 of the Copa Sudamericana KO round. After falling 0-1 last week in unfair & disgraceful fashion, the (U) seeks revenge. The off the field issue is something the crema players seek to avenge more than the 0-1 loss after Sebastian Avellino was unfairly arrested without any help or justice. Avellino was arrested for “racism” despite being racially attacked by the Corinthians fans.

Coming into this match already has some drama aside from the Avellino situation. Corinthians refuse to play in Peru due to a new sickness called Guillain-Barré but CONMEBOL rejected their plea. Afraid of what they did in São Paulo, Corinthians are also scared to play in the Monumental. This match has been personal ever since leg 1 ended.

Universitario will be without Alex Valera due to getting a red card last week & Jose Carvallo due to serving a 8-match ban due to the brawl vs Gimnasia. Emmanuel Herrera is likely to start at forward & rising star Diego Romero will start at goalkeeper. The starting XI has been leaked and its: Romero (GK), Corzo, Riveros, Di Benedetto (DF), Cabanillas, Ureña, (DM) Perez Guedes, Quispe (MF), Polo, Urruti (LW/RW), and Herrera (ST).

Universitario must win 1-0 in order to force penalty kicks but a 2-0 or 3-0 win puts them to the Round of 16. Kickoff will be at 8:30pm at the Estadio MonUmental in front of a sold out crowd of 70,000 cremas. Let’s go U!

July 18, 2023 0

Universitario vs Union Comercio match preview: A must-win night to boost morale

Universitario hosts Union Comercio tonight at the Estadio Monumental in a much needed win. After a disappointing 1-0 in Brazil vs Corinthians, the (U) seeks to avenge their messy week. Comercio also defeated the (U) back in the Apertura which will put the cremas in revenge mode.

Aside from the 1-0 loss in Brazil, Universitario is facing an off the field issue with racial abuse from fitness coach Sebastian Abelino. The issue has been a distraction for the players and management which winning tonight is a must at all costs. Winning tonight will also put Universitario at the top of the Clausura table. The roster lineups also display a couple surprising moves, 1 is not that much surprising however.

The non-surprise roster decision is that Edison Flores will be inactive for tonight for precautionary reasons for next Tuesday’s match vs Corinthians at the Monumental. The surprising roster decision is that Alfonso Barco inactive for personal reasons. Barco posted on social media that he and his family has been receiving death threats so he won’t be suiting up tonight. It’s a shame that fans had to go that low on Barco and his family. Yes, Barco has been struggling tremendously but going low by making threats is wrong.

Kickoff will be at 9pm Lima time (10pm ET, 7pm PT) at the Estadio Monumental. Tonight’s match is a must win for revenge vs Comercio AND to be #1 of the Clausura table. Y DALE U!

July 14, 2023 0

Corinthians vs Universitario match preview: Let’s start this round with a W

After a back-and-forth 6 matches of Copa Sudamericana group stage, Universitario now has to confront Corinthians in the KO Round. Both clubs have 2 different approaches to this round however. Universitario is heading to this round with their best in order to win both legs. While Corinthians uses a majority U-23 squad and have a few key stars like Cassio absent. Corinthians are focused to win their domestic league, the Brasileiro Serie A, and won’t risk their stars for this round.

Universitario will be without Martin Perez Guedes (yellow card suspension), and Jose Carvallo & Roberto Siucho (red card suspension). Diego Romero who was goalkeeping the (U) in a clean sheet vs Alianza Atletico, will get the start for Carvallo. Despite having many U-23 players, Corinthians will still go hard to win. Corinthians finished 3rd in their Copa Libertadores group and in this new format, they host leg 1. Universitario targets a positive road result and return home next week to advance. It’s a match where they need to play clean and avoid careless fouls and errors especially that they enter this match with more experience than Corinthians.

Kickoff is less than a hour away 8:30pm Eastern time (7:30pm Lima time, 5:30pm Pacific) in Arena Corinthians.

July 11, 2023 0

Universitario 1 – Gimnasia y Esgrima 0 match recap: KO Stages Bound!

Universitario clinches a spot to the Copa Sudamericana Knockout Stages with a 1-0 win over Gimnasia. Both clubs (and the other 2 of Group G) had to win in order to contend for the Sudamericana and it was all drama. Goias managed to win 1-2 on the road vs Santa Fe in Bogota, ending the Colombian’s chances to win another Copa Sudamericana. That result plus Universitario’s 1-0 win easily puts the Crema’s to the Sudamericana KO Stages.

Universitario started the match attacking and had a terrific opportunity until when Emmanuel Herrera missed the open net shot, going wide left. Gimnasia also attacked well early in the 1st half with two goals being annulled for handball and offsides respectively. Piero Quispe opened scoring in the 40th minute with a long shot goal. Alfonso Barco had a good opportunity to extend the lead at the end of the half only to not give any effort.

The 2nd half was a quiet half for both sides. Gimnasia barely made any chances while Universitario made chances at the very end. Both Marco Saravia & Horacio Calcaterra had near misses to seal the match completely. Gimnasia had 2 red cards in the 71st & 90+8 minutes respectively for fouls. Universitario sealed the 1-0 hard fought win at home in front of the sold out Estadio MonUmental.

Immediately following the match, Gimnasia defender Leandro Sandro Morales used a racial slur against Andy Polo and started a brawl that ended up with 6 more red cards for Gimnasia & 2 red cards for the (U). The 2 reds for Universitario are Jose Carvallo & Roberto Siucho for their roles in the brawl. The racial abuse incident caused by Gimnasia is now under investigation by CONMEBOL.

Universitario secured their spot in the KO stages of the Sudamericana and now await their opponent. Next match will be on Monday night July 3 vs Alianza Atletico Sullana at the MonUmental.

June 29, 2023 0

Universitario vs Gimnasia y Esgrima match preview: Must-win match of 2023 thus far

Universitario will play in front of a sold-out crowd at the Estadio MonUmental vs Gimnasia where a spot to the next round of the Copa Sudamericana is on the line. Universitario only needs a win but also needs other results in their favor in order to qualify to the Round of 16. Gimnasia is also playing for a spot to the Knockout stages of the Sudamericana. It’s a must win match for both clubs and the (U) has the edge with the fans on their side tonight.

Key absences for Universitario tonight are Rodrigo Ureña & Nelson Cabanillas while Roberto Siucho makes a roster return after a long absence. The (U) are undefeated in their 2 Sudamericana matches with a 2-2 draw vs Goias & a 2-0 win vs Santa Fe. After a 1-1 draw in Cusco that could’ve been a win, the Cremas seek to redeem themselves with a win tonight.

There are scenarios for Universitario’s fate in the 2023 Copa Sudamericana. In order to have a direct qualification to the Round of 16, Universitario needs to win by 3 or more PLUS a Santa Fe win by 1 or 2 goals. That scenario gives Universitario and Santa Fe 10 points in Group but the (U) is the group winner by 1 goal. Shall those results happen but if the (U) fails to win by 3 or less, the it’s possible for the Crema’s to play in the Knock Out Stages. A draw between Santa Fe and Goias requires Universitario win by 4 goals in order to win the Group. A Goias road win at Santa Fe Bogota AND a Universitario win only pits the (U) to the Knock Out Stages.

A Univeristario loss brings danger and they need to have the help of Goias in order to have them in the KO Stages. Gimnasia wants revenge on the road ever since Universitario defeated them in Argentina back in April. Gimnasia needs a win PLUS a Goias win in order to play in the KO round, they currently sit in last place in Group G with 4 points.

Shall Universitario tie, well that can go either way good or bad. The good is they need Goias and Santa Fe to also go scoreless or the (U) needs to have a 1-1 or 2-2 draw just to clinch the KO stages. The bad is failing to do the latter and Santa Fe scores more in a draw or they just win at home. The Knock Out Stages is a new format to the Copa Sudamericana in order to build & increase competition which is exactly alike the UEFA tournaments. So many scenarios for this crucial night for all clubs in Group G.

Kickoff is at 9pm Lima time (10pm ET, 7pm PT) at the sold out 60,000+ Estadio MonUmental. An opportunity for a CONMEBOL trophy is on the line tonight with a talented squad. LET’S GO U!

June 28, 2023 0

Cienciano 1 – 1 Universitario June 22 match recap: Could’ve been better

Universitario leaves Cusco with 1 point after a promising start of the Clausura vs Cienciano. After grabbing a 1st half lead with a Martin Perez Guedes goal, the (U) couldn’t hold on to the lead late in the 2nd half.

With important players like Alex Valera, Rodrigo Ureña, Andy Polo, & Jose Carvallo absent last night, the (U) couldn’t produce enough to win. Backup goalkeeper Diego Romero stepped up for the match last night for Carvallo and played above expectations. Luis Urruti has been limited in the past few matches got the start for Valera while Alfonso Barco fills in for Rodrigo Ureña.

Martin Perez Guedes scored in the 21st minute after shooting the open rebound. Piero Quispe had a good shot on goal but hit the left bar while Emmanuel Herrera had his misses too. The downside of the solid 1st half was the performance of Barco. Barco made no effort and never marked offensively to help the cremas to another possible goal. Barco was subbed out early in the 2nd half which did not mattered since the cremas did absolutely nothing for the last 45 minutes.

Cienciano leveled scoring in the 82nd minute by Carlos Garces who scored off a terrific cross plus an unaware crema defense. The (U) ran out of gas late in the 2nd half and it cost them the much needed 3 points on the road. What also cost the (U) the 3 points is the missing key players such as Valera & Ureña who would’ve contribute a lot more.

Next match will be at the MonUmental on Wednesday for the Copa Sudamericana vs Gimnasia. A spot for the Copa Sudamericana knockout stages is on the line. It’s a must win match in front of a sold out crowd. The next Liga 1 match will also be at the MonUmental vs Alianza Atletico Sullana on Monday July 3.

June 23, 2023 0

Cienciano vs Universitario June 22 match preview: Start the Clausura strong

Universitario will start their 2023 Clausura campaign on the road vs Cienciano. With many key players absent tonight, the match is very crucial in order to start the Clausura on the right foot. Winning the Clausura is an important objective for the (U) in order to be a finalist for the 2023 Liga 1 Final.

Liga 1 top goalscorer Alex Valera & veteran goalkeeper Jose Carvallo are inactive due to international duty while Andy Polo & Rodrigo Ureña are inactive due to injury & yellow card accumulation respectively.

Earlier in the month, Universitario signed Edison Flores on a 1-and a half year loan that will keep him thru the centenary year in 2024. Flores won the Copa Libertadores U-20 title with Universitario and is a national team star who played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup for Peru. After several years, “Orejas” Flores is back and will be a key figure for the Clausura campaign. However, he will be inactive for tonight’s match vs Cienciano.

The (U) has played Cienciano a couple times already, both at the MonUmental and resulted in wins. This time tonight is at Cusco with both clubs eyeing on 3 points to start the Clausura strong. Cienciano on the other hand, eyes on revenge for the earlier Liga 1 loss plus the elimination vs the (U) at the Sudamericana.

Kickoff will be at 7pm Peru time (8pm Eastern time, 5pm Pacific time) at Estadio Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.

June 22, 2023 0

Universitario de Deportes inaugurate the Museo Monumental

Universitario de Deportes inaugurated the Museo Monumental last night inside the Estadio Monumental U Marathon. The new exhibit will now be the new home of all trophies, past kits, and other historical memorabilia (previously in Estadio Lolo Fernandez). U.S.-based non-profit organization Colectivo USA helped make the project into a reality.

Museo Monumental (credit: Universitario de Deportes, Colectivo USA, Jaime Pulgar Vidal)

Universitario now join giant clubs like Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Boca Juniors, and River Plate in having a museum in their own stadiums. The trophies are the highlight of the museum with the 1934 Peruvian Championship trophy taking the spotlight. After many years of debate, the 1934 championship trophy is back home where it belongs. Match banners from historical matches and past kits are the centerpieces of the museum. And last but not least, the life size wax figure of Lolo Fernandez, the greatest player that donned the crema shirt.

The 1934 Peruvian Championship trophy, won by Universitario de Deportes (credit: Universitario de Deportes)

Colectivo USA members from the U.S., Canada, Peru, Spain, New Zealand, and Switzerland helped made this museum happen. A plaque dedicated to the contributors with a special thanks to historian Jaime Pulgar Vidal and Asociacion Guardia Crema. This is another project completed by Colectivo USA. Last year, the group did the Rinconcito de Lolo restaurant at the Estadio Lolo Fernandez as well as sponsoring the futsal-down and the women’s volleyball teams. The NGO group started with 20 members now has expanded to over 100 members. If you’re a Universitario fan and want to know more or be a part of Colectivo USA, click here.

Plaque of all the museum contributors (credit: Colectivo USA)

The Museo Monumental is now open and will be part of the Monumental tours from now on. More details on how to get tickets will be in Universitario’s website.

April 14, 2023 0