Isaac Heath – Eight years ago a small provincial soccer club from Cusco, Peru shocked the Latin American soccer world by triumphing over two Argentine giants back to back en route to winning both the Copa Sudamericana (South America’s UEFA Cup)  and the Recopa (The match between the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana champions). With the victory, Cienciano became the first Peruvian team ever to win an international championship. In fact, they had not even (and still have not) hoisted the trophy of their own domestic league.

As the Sudamericana got rolling this week with Cesar Vallejo, another small market Peruvian team, taking the field against Independiente Santa Fe, one can’t help but reminisce on the magic that Cienciano brought for both their city and country back in the 2003-2004 seasons.

I have watched a lot of soccer games in a wide variety of places in Peru and can attest that Peruvians love soccer (this should not be surprising to you). In 2002 I watched Spain’s heartbreaking loss against South Korea on the cold cement floor of a home for street kids in Lima. I watched Brazil beat Germany in the final that year at the home of a pastor in Iquitos, and was a witness to the ensuing celebrations in the streets. To this day I don’t know if that pastor forgot to preach his sermon that Sunday, or if the Church was closed for the final.

In the fall of 2003 when Cienciano was just beginning their improbably journey to greatness, I was just returning from a summer spent living and working in the jungle town of Pucallpa. Only weeks into my stay I watched Boca Juniors win their 5th of 6 Copa Libertadores titles. I can assure you that not once did it cross my mind nor the mind of my Peruvian friends gathered with me that night that a Peruvian team, much less Cienciano, would defeat Boca in the Recopa just a year later.

In much of Peru, and in particular in the eastern jungle regions, the people always find themselves rooting for their Brazilian neighbors. Not so much because they like them, but because their teams are rarely fighting for anything of consequence. Plus, no one outside of Argentina ever wants to see Argentina win, so it is Brazil by default.

But during Cienciano’s Sudamericana run in 2003, the entire country embraced them as their own.Up in till 2001, Cienciano had done virtually nothing of note in Peruvian football at all. They finished second that year to Alianza Lima, but then qualified for the 2002 Copa Libertadores (The UEFA Champions League of South America).

In the 2002 Libertadores Cienciano surprised everyone by making it through the group phase to the round of 16. Freddy Ternero, a former member of the Peruvian national team, took over the team in 2003. With the groundwork for success already laid in the previous two seasons, Ternero led them to folkloric success.

When Cienciano started its run in 03 they were infectious. On top of the fact that they had never won anything, they played in a small stadium (they have since expanded to be able to host international tournament games) nestled between the Andes mountains. That small stadium provided a home field advantage where they outlasted visiting teams that sludged through 90 minutes of soccer at high altitude. Their style of play was an all-in-for-the-cause emotional outburst that made you feel like you were watching Rudy every time they took the field.

In the middle of Cienciano’s Sudamericana run I had already returned back to the US. I was inflicted with Cusquenan fever though, and that fall I listened to nearly every single game Cienciano played (much to the chagrin of my roommate). The final against River Plate may or may not have been listened to while I donned my red Cienciano jersey.

Peru has been waiting for something to cheer for at the international club level ever since that moment. While Universitario, Sporting Cristal, or Alianza Lima seem to be the most likely teams to deliver another one of those moments, I really would love to get a Vallejo jersey and listen to them pull a Cienciano.

 

by Isaac Heath