"It was a goal that everyone saw but nobody showed us anything. But no matter what we do, no one wants to listen to us. In an interview with the media after the game, Peru coach Gareca was full of anger and his voice was trembling.
The focus battle in the penultimate round of the South American qualifiers for the World Cup in Qatar on March 26, Beijing time, saw a highly controversial penalty.
At the end of 90 minutes of regular time, Uruguay still led Peru 1-0. In the 92nd minute, Peru scored the Uruguay goal. In the face of Trumpo's shot, Uruguayan goalkeeper Roccette took a step back after receiving the ball, and the ball seemed to have crossed the goal line as a whole.
Since the South American qualifiers did not have goal-line technology, only VAR intervened, and VAR determined that the ball did not completely cross the goal line and the goal was invalid.
In the end, former World Cup winner Uruguay defeated Peru 1-0 at home, locked in the top four, and together with Ecuador, got tickets to the last two direct matches in South America to Qatar. Peru, ranked 22nd in the world, can only compete for the only place in the play-offs.
However, a screenshot released by peruvian media after the game showed that Roccette's step back was fatal, when the ball had crossed the goal line as a whole. Peruvian media said it was clear that the goal should be valid.
In the final round of the South American qualifiers, Peru will face Paraguay, which has lost hope of qualifying, at home. Chile face Uruguay at home and Colombia away to Venezuela.
Peru, which is temporarily ranked fifth, still occupies the initiative. In other words, as long as Peru can win, it can still get a place in the play-offs.
However, if Uruguay's match against Peru is not a 1-0 result, but a 1-1, the situation will be reversed.
Uruguay is now only one point ahead of Peru if Chile beats Uruguay and Peru beats Paraguay in the final round, then Peru's final ranking will be fourth, directly getting the ticket to Qatar!
And if Colombia defeats Venezuela in the last round, then Uruguay will not only fail to qualify directly, but will also fall to sixth place, and even the tickets for the play-offs will not be available!
And it was because of the penalty in the 92nd minute that Uruguay went from losing the final round to missing the World Cup to reaching Qatar in the early round. Peru, on the other hand, is expected to get a direct promotion spot in the final round, and can only compete for a place in the play-offs in the final round.