Meet: Universidad San Martín de Porres

By: Christian | March 30th, 2008

san martin

Ask anyone what the underdog story of 2008 will be, and you’ll most likely hear about non-league side Havant & Waterlooville’s historic trip to Anfield in the FA Cup. In South America however, a similar type Cinderella story could be brewing from another unlikely source.

Peruvian club Universidad San Martín are having a dream start in this year’s Copa Libertadores, the most important competition in South America, and second to only the Champions League in terms of international prestige. Now, this modest club based in Lima, Peru, has done the unthinkable, beating traditional giants River Plate from Argentina AND Mexico’s Club América, and could very well advance to the knockout stage. Not bad for a club founded only 4 years ago.

Yes, you heard right. In 2004, San Martín was was formed by a joint stock company, the first of its kind in Peru, and ascended into that country’s first division of football by buying out the promotion spot of that years Division 2 winners, Sport Coopsol. Despite finishing dead last in the 2004 Apertura, the squad bounced back for the next Clausura campaign, missing first place by only 3 points to the more established Sporting Cristal.

After varying results the next three seasons, “Los Santos”, as they are known, won the 2007 Apertura, 7 points clear of 2nd place Cienciano, and earning the right to be called 2007 National Champions, albeit with a twist. In Peru, the Apertura and Clausua winners of a single year play a one-game playoff to decide a champion. However, since 2007 Clausura winners Coronel Bolognesi finished dead last in the Apertura, and San Martín finished 7th in the Clausura, Los Santos were simply handed the title outright for having accumulated more points.

Despite the confusion, it was enough to send the team to the 2008 Copa Liberatadores, alongside such historic teams as America, River, and Chile’s Universidad Católica in Group 5. Many pegged this to be a group of Death, with no chance for San Martín to advance. They would strike the first blow however, in one of the biggest upsets in Copa history, defeating a weak River Plate side 2-0 at home. (”Home” is a misnomer since the team doesn’t actually have their own stadium; they instead use Sporting Cristal’s Estadio San Martin de Porres.) And it was a deserved victory, with Roberto Ovelar catching the River defense asleep in the 15th minute. By the time also-ran José Luis Díaz scored the final nail in the coffin in the 90th minute, it was merely to add insult to injury, with San Martín never in any danger of losing.

Many thought the result to be a fluke, and the squad came down after a 1-0 loss to Católica, and a huge 3-1 defeat in Mexico to América, despite having scored first. But the team still seems to have some fight left in them. When they defeated America this past in Peru 1-0, they not only denied the Mexicans 3 points they desperately needed to keep pace with group leaders River, but they are now 3rd in the group ahead of the sinking Católica, and still alive. Though they have two difficult trips ahead, first to Chile then Argentina, they just may continue their incredible run; should River Plate defeat América in Mexico, and if San Martín can get some sort of result in Santiago, they have a chance against River in Buenos Aires, when los millonarios would already be assured of advancing.

Whether or not they can do it, the little club from Lima has shown some true heart and determination (some would say missing from some of the more traditional teams), and are giving us football fans an incredible story to remember.

San Martín 2 – 0 River Plate