Chile–Peru football rivalry

Chile–Peru football rivalry

Chile's Raúl Toro & Peru's Teodoro Fernandez, opponents in the 1937 South American Championship
Other names Clásico del Pacífico  (Spanish)
Derby of the Pacific
Locale CONMEBOL
(South America)
Teams Chile, Peru
First meeting Peru 1–0 Chile
(Lima, Peru; 26 January 1935)
Latest meeting Peru 3-4 Chile
(Lima, Peru; 13 October 2015)
Statistics
Meetings total 77
Most wins Chile (43)
Most player appearances Roberto Palacios (15)
Top scorer Eduardo Vargas (7)
Largest victory Peru 6–0 Chile
(Lima, Peru; 19 April 1995)

The Chile–Peru football rivalry is a long-standing sports rivalry between the national football teams of both countries and their respective fans. Matches between the two nations are keenly contested and their games have a reputation for competitiveness.

Name

The Spanish name of the football rivalry, Clásico del Pacífico, is a direct reference to the Pacific Ocean, which borders both countries' coastlines.

History

A newspaper from Chile laments its national team's loss to Peru in their first-ever match[upper-alpha 1]

The football rivalry between Chile and Peru has increased in intensity since the early twentieth century. Initially, the sports authorities from both countries attempted to use football as a way to foster friendly bilateral sociopolitical relations.

In 1933, a private enterprise by businessmen Waldo Sanhueza and Jack Gubbins saw the creation of the Combinado del Pacifico, a binational football team composed by Peruvian and Chilean footballers. The squad was initially composed by players from the Chilean club Colo-Colo and the Peruvian club Universitario de Deportes. After this squad was defeated 1-5 by Alianza Lima, another football club from the Peruvian capital, the team was reinforced by Alianza's goalkeeper Juan Valdivieso and creative forward Alejandro Villanueva.

Nowadays, Chile v. Peru games generally tend to be very competitive and at times rough, often with players sent off. The two teams display highly contested battles that make for entertaining matches within the CONMEBOL region.

In spite of the fierce Chile-Peru football Rivalry, in 2013 The Chilean FA decided to include a new team in the 3rd Division for 2014 named Club Deportivo Incas del Sur which is a team that aims to represent the Peruvian Community in Santiago. Peruvian Companies in Chile have pledged to help fund the team. Currently the team aims to be in the Chilean top Division within three years. People of Peruvian descent in Chile is estimated to be at 150,000.[1]

National team records

An action shot from a football match. A player scores from a bicycle kick.
Peru's match against Chile at the 1975 Copa América

The national football teams of Chile and Peru have a rivalry that is known in Spanish as the Clásico del Pacífico ("Pacific Derby").[2] CNN World Sport editor Greg Duke ranks it among the top ten football rivalries in the world.[3] The two countries traditionally compete with each other over the rank of fourth-best national team in South America (after Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay).[4] They also both claim to have invented the bicycle kick; Peruvians call it the chalaca, while it is the chilena in Chile.[5]

Both sides first faced each other in the 1935 South American Championship.[6] Since 1953, both countries have traditionally contested the Copa del Pacífico ("Pacific Cup"), which is a trophy awarded to the side with the best record after a two-legged home and away match.[6] The first FIFA World Cup match between both teams took place in the qualification phase for the West Germany 1974 tournament.[6] At present, Chile has a positive overall record against Peru in international football.[6]

FIFA World Cup

In the FIFA World Cup tournament, Chile and Peru have only faced each other in the qualifying phase. The first time both sides played each other was in the qualification round for the West Germany 1974 tournament.[6] Both teams were placed in CONMEBOL's Group 3, along with Venezuela. Following Venezuela's withdrawal from the tournament, the group became a contest between Peru and Chile. The first match was won by Peru on 29 April 1973.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The image's title reads: "Chile salio DERROTADO en un match que nunca debio PERDER" (English: "Chile came out defeated in a match that it should have never lost"). A sub-heading further reads: "CHILENOS JUEGAN MEJOR Futbol Que los PERUANOS" (English: "Chileans play better football than the Peruvians")

References

  1. ↑ http://www.rpp.com.pe/2013-10-26-incas-del-sur-es-el-club-que-representara-a-los-peruanos-en-chile-noticia_642744.html
  2. ↑ "A derby and a debut in South America". FIFA. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  3. ↑ Greg Duke (6 November 2008). "Top 10 international rivalries". CNN. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Henshaw 1979, p. 126.
  5. ↑ Witzig 2006, p. 22.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chile – Peru matches, 1935–2011". RSSSF. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2013.

Bibliography

  • Henshaw, Richard (1979). The Encyclopedia of World Soccer. Washington, D.C.: New Republic Books. ISBN 0-915220-34-2. 
  • Witzig, Richard (2006). The Global Art of Soccer. Harahan: CusiBoy Publishing. ISBN 0-9776688-0-0. 

External links

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