The fact that I added visitors one by one at the start of the qualifying tournaments was highlighted and even celebrated by many. But Juan Reynoso has already turned the tide and is already thinking about Tuesday’s game in Brazil.
The exclusion of Luis Advíncula against the Guaraníes not only leaves a huge hole in the national wall, but also invites us to rethink the game, although the Bicolor – apparently this Thursday – have no problems in this sense.
El Cabezón did not experiment in Ciudad del Este. He sent four defenders onto the field as the Peruvian team was already playing before the Gareca era. However, the enthusiasm of Luis Advíncula, who thought more about attack than defense due to his good moments with Boca Juniors, caused enormous unrest in the background. He was eventually ruled out and the big question today is who will replace him.
Reynoso is considering calling Carlos Zambrano into the Peru team. What does your call depend on?
Decisions. Reynoso could make more than one change. Photo: Distribution
Although the Bicolor want to count on the Kaiser in this crucial game against the five-time world champions, this weekend everything will depend on the development of the footballer, since he has not been on the field for a while due to his injury. That means they will first analyze whether Zambrano has minutes in today’s game against Alianza Lima.
The blue and whites will face the Cantolao Academy and there could be the reappearance of the national central defender who, if he has minutes and everything goes perfectly, will end up being called up by the technical command to defend the Blanquirroja in the 2026 qualifiers We remember that the former Boca Juniors player is one of the most experienced and important players in the squad.
Other options
The exclusion of Advíncula led to a change of plans, with the entry of Aldo Corzo being fundamental.
The right-back, who plays as a central defender for Universitario this season, showed that he is a more than accomplished footballer by wearing the Peruvian national team jersey. And that shouldn’t surprise us: Aldo played 12 games in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. In addition, he is remembered for the excellent performance he achieved against Luis Díaz, Colombia’s leading figure, in the away game against the Coffee Farmers in the last qualifying games.
Another option on the right is Miguel Araujo. The centre-back, who wears the colors of the Portland Timbers, has played a number of games at right-back and hasn’t looked out of place. In fact, he played in this position alongside Juan Reynoso in a friendly against Paraguay. However, as seen in the first playoff game where he was substituted at the end of the first half, this could keep him from that option. It is not unreasonable knowing that the Peruvian coach likes to have multifunctional footballers, but the tests are over.
Another option, albeit a little removed, would be the five-man line in the background. The options in defense would be Luis Abram or Alexander Callens (if he recovers from his injury), Renato Tapia (who did well against Paraguay) and Aldo Corzo. And the wingers would be Andy Polo, who does a very good tactical job, and Marco López, who performed well in the second half against Paraguay. You still have a few days to make the decision.
Gallese trusts the group
Pedro Gallese spoke after the goalless draw against Paraguay at the start of qualifying. “We knew it would be difficult, the expulsion was complicated for us, but we have a team thirsty for revenge. “Nothing has been won yet, but there is still a lot left for us,” said Gallese, who was one of the figures and is now thinking about Brazil. “It’s a pretty difficult game again, we’re at home, the group is pretty mature, there are a lot of people who have been in the national team for a long time and we’re a family.”