Alianza Atlético downs Sporting Cristal 3-1 in Sullana in Clausura matchday 6

Winning in Sullana is never easy, and Sporting Cristal found that out again the hard way. The blue and white side arrived full of confidence after beating Sport Huancayo, but that good run was snuffed out quickly at Estadio Campeones del 36, where Alianza Atlético prevailed 3-1 in matchday 6 of the Liga 1 Clausura Tournament.

The match started evenly, with chances at both ends, until the first blow landed right when it seemed the first half would end without incident. In stoppage time, a mistake by Cristiano da Silva opened the door for Jose Ingratti, who made no mistake to put the home side up 1-0.

In the second half, Cristal responded. Roberto Mosquera's substitutions paid off and Michael Hoyos equalized in the 53rd minute, setting off a wave of pressure on the Alianza Atlético goal. Everything pointed to the point staying in Sullana, but the "Vendaval" had other plans. In the 85th minute, a handball by Yoshimar Yotún inside the box led to a penalty, with little argument from the visitors, and Elian Muñoz converted it to make it 2-1. Late on, another penalty was awarded, which German Diaz turned into a goal to seal the final 3-1.

The result leaves Sporting Cristal's Clausura hopes in trouble and also hurts its standing in the aggregate table, while Alianza Atlético picks up valuable points in its pursuit of a spot in international competition.

Araujo's self-criticism

Miguel Araujo didn't hide his frustration on the way out of the stadium. The blue and white defender was blunt: the loss came down to their own mistakes, not because the opponent was better.

I'm really embarrassed because we came here for something else. We didn't know how to manage the game, we weren't smart. This is soccer and there's a lot to fix. Even more so on this kind of field, where in parts there's no grass at all.Miguel Araujo

The defender also pointed to the state of the field, which he said affected how the match played out.

We weren't smart, we didn't play like we usually do, but we never felt like they were better than us. We lost this game ourselves. There are things that go wrong because of the weather and the field, that's part of it. Even if you're playing in 40-degree heat, if the grass is in good shape you can play. Here it looks like a park lawn.Miguel Araujo

Words that reflect the frustration of a squad that felt the point was within reach after Hoyos's equalizer.

Mosquera and the two penalties that changed everything

At the press conference, Roberto Mosquera offered his own read on the match. For the coach, the two penalties against his team were the deciding factor in a contest that had been even up to that point.

Soccer has these things. Two penalties cut short our hopes. This is a tough place to play, and we've rarely lost here to Sporting Cristal. We have to accept it. The substitutions were spot on and everything pointed to a 1-1 finish, but that's soccer for you. We didn't play our best match, but we ran hard and we scored. We have to keep our focus on what's ahead.Roberto Mosquera

With this setback, Sporting Cristal will need to bounce back quickly if it wants to stay alive in the Clausura race and keep the qualification spots in the aggregate table within reach.