One of the positive consequences of the qualifier against Brazil was the debut of Joao Grimaldo with the team, despite the tough defeat in the last minute Peruvian team. The talented Sporting Cristal winger played the entire second half of the game and delivered good passages that repaid the trust of coach Juan Reynoso and some of his teammates such as Paolo Guerrero and Pedro Gallese.
Before the 20-year-old footballer entered the pitch, he was filmed receiving advice from the striker and goalkeeper – an image that went viral on social media. When asked what the senior players told him, Grimaldo was encouraged to respond. “They gave me a lot of confidence to get into the sport. They told me, ‘Do your football, do your thing,'” the Rime native told Football in America.