At 9:30 a.m. Beijing time on October 12, the 9th round of the South American zone of the World Preliminary Championship, Peru vs Uruguay. In the 88th minute, Peru staged a stunner, defeating Uruguay 1-0 and causing a small upset. This was Peru's first victory in this World Preliminary Tournament, and the Peru fans at the scene went crazy! After nine rounds, Peru escaped the bottom with six points and five points from seventh-placed Venezuela.
In the latest world rankings, Peru is ranked 43rd and Uruguay is ranked 11th. In the first 8 World Preliminary Matches, Uruguay won 4, drew 3 and lost 1 to get 15 points, ranking third. Peru has only 3 points from 8 games, 3 draws and 5 defeats, and is at the bottom of the table.
Bielsa's Uruguay lined up in a 352 formation, with United defender Ugarte playing at centre-back, Valverde leading the midfield and Nunez and C-Oliveira partnering up front.
In the first half, both teams lackluster in attack. Uruguay's Nunez attempted two attempts and the only shot on target came from the Liverpool striker. Real Madrid's €130 million superstar Valverde played mediocre in the first half, with only one shot on target.
Yibian fought again, and Peru intensified its offensive. In the 55th minute, Peru played a fluid combination when Sergio Peña on the left side of the box slotted into the edge of the six-yard box, but his powerful shot from a tight angle hit the side netting.
The game was uneventful, with a slow pace of attack and defense and a lot of mistakes on both sides. Peru's frequent fouls blocked Uruguay's offensive advance, and Nunez and C-Oliveira struggled to get the ball.
It wasn't until the 88th minute that the deadlock was broken:
Peru's attack hit the right flank, and after receiving a cross from a teammate, Arauyo jumped high and scored with a header, giving Peru a 1-0 lead!
This goal made Peru revel! The whole team celebrated, Arauyo's goal was extremely important, saving Peru and saving the World Cup dream in the last moments.
1-0 victory over strong Uruguay, Peru won its first victory in the world preliminary round, and broke out a big upset! In the South American standings of the World Preliminary Championship, Peru scored 6 points in 9 games, surpassing Chile and moving up to 9th place (2nd from the bottom). Peru is five points behind seventh-placed Venezuela (seventh in South America to qualify for the intercontinental play-offs), and they still have hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. Uruguay, who lost, is still in third place with 15 points from nine games, behind Argentina (19 points) and Colombia (16 points).