Doha, Qatar – Peru football fans were left in tears after their team lost their 2022 World Cup qualifier after a 5-4 penalty shootout defeat to Australia.
Substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne saved Alex Valera’s final penalty for sending Peru into the suitcases, to the disappointment of the 10,000-person vocal support among the crowd at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Monday evening.
Daphne Beraun, a Peruvian who had traveled to Doha from London, told Al Jazeera that her team “deserved a victory.”
“We couldn’t finish the chances we had,” Beraun said minutes after Peru were knocked out, the team’s first defeat to Australia.
Enzo Veramindi, another Peruvian fan, said the two teams were more or less equal, but he wished his team had chosen better penalties.
Australian fans, meanwhile, said the victory left them “ecstatic” despite being second best in the stands throughout the match.
So many emotions tonight, but most importantly, this team showed up when it counted. To all staff and players, CONGRATULATIONS 👏🏽 @Socceroos pic.twitter.com/ZujgX2yGYW
– Tim Cahill AO (@Tim_Cahill) June 13, 2022
“It was wonderful. We feel so privileged to be here,” Ross Finch, 67, who attended the party with his wife Maggie, 59, told Al Jazeera.
“We’ve been to a few world cups now … but this time we didn’t make it in time and we were very worried about the classification.”
Australia, heading into their fifth consecutive World Cup, complete Group D which also features France, Denmark and Tunisia in the tournament which starts on November 21st.
‘Home game’ for Peru
As the start of Monday approached, it was clear that the stadium, one of the eight venues that will host the next World Cup, will be dominated by Peruvian fans.
An Australian spectator before the start described it as a “home game” for the South American nation.
Peru fans were baffled by Australia’s convincing defeat on penalties [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Peruvians from around the world attended the do-or-die game from places such as the United States, the capital of Peru, Lima, and neighboring Qatar, the United Arab Emirates.
In Lima, and other Peruvian cities such as Cuzco, thousands of fans had lined the streets to watch their team compete, a task facilitated by the government that had declared Monday a national holiday.
Disappointment for traveling fans in Peru after the final penalty [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
However, what many expected to be a second-place finish in the World Cup turned out to be a bitter experience.
“I think Peru played horribly, very badly,” Samuel Chamochumbyi, a marketing graduate and business owner from Lima, told Al Jazeera.
“The team is good … but today they have been horrible. His attack was almost nothing. If you look at the statistics, maybe they had a shot on goal, “he added, adding that if the game goes to penalties,” it was like roulette … anything can happen. “
However, for fans like Beraun, the loss is unlikely to result in a loss of support for his team in the future.
“They [Peruvians] they will always support your team. I mean, look how many people showed up here … they all came from so far away, “he said.
‘Dumb’
Australia coach Graham Arnold said “no one in Australia gave us a chance” and that he was “quite speechless” after the victory.
“The mentality of the boys since they arrived at the camp here was fantastic. And I can be so, proud and happy for the players. “
Mark Mead, an Australian resident in Doha, said the result was “fantastic” and added that until the last penalty he was not sure if the Socceroos could get it.
The Australians celebrate their victory after Peru player Valera missed the final penalty [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
“It was 50-50 throughout the game,” Mead added.
The Australian, who has been living in Doha for eight years, said he will also attend Tuesday’s World Cup play-off match between Costa Rica and New Zealand, which will also take place at the same venue to decide the final team for Doha. at 32- team tournament.