WASHINGTON, June 9 (Xinhua) -- After their 2-2 tie against Ecuador on Wednesday, Peru is worried they might be eliminated from the 2016 Centennial Copa America, currently being held in the United States.
Peruvian press and fans expressed their concern because they think their team lost control in the second group stage match, allowing the rival to dominate the game.
"It was a bitter result. Regretfully we could not hold on to the score that was in our favor. The first 25 minutes were good," coach Daniel Gareca told local media at the end of the match.
If Peru wants to reach the quarterfinals, the team has to win Sunday's match in Boston against Brazil, which is a very difficult task. This will be Peru's last match in the group stage. If Peru draws against Brazil, it needs Ecuador to lose to Haiti to leave a slim chance of qualifying for the next round.
"We need to win the game against Brazil. If we win, we have a chance of qualifying," said Gareca.
Daily La Republica said "Peru couldn't maintain their good performance from the first half and therefore they had to pay the price and lose two points".
"The national team had 35 minutes of good football and had two goals to their advantage. Then Ecuador tied and ended with a better performance. Peru is now on the verge of being eliminated," said Uno daily.