The Peruvians are seventh in qualifying and are two points from the qualifying zone.
Peru clings to the hope of qualifying for the Qatar-2022 World Cup, after thrashing Bolivia 3-0 on Thursday in Lima, but must win at all costs a victory against Venezuela next Tuesday in Caracas to continue dreaming.
With Venezuela “it’s another final”Said the coach of the Inca team, Argentine Ricardo Gareca, after Thursday’s game at the National Stadium in which his cubs sealed the victory over Green in the first half.
With this victory, which followed two defeats in the last triple date of the South American qualifier, Peru jumped from ninth to seventh place.
The victory allowed him cut the distance from the direct qualification and play-off zone to two points, which Chile and Colombia occupy with 16 units in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
This is the position table of the South American tie
The red-white, which got his third consecutive victory at home in this World Cup, did not win by three goals since October 12, 2005, when they beat Bolivia 4-1 on the last day of qualifying for Germany-2006.
Gareca highlighted the performance of his pupils in the vital duel with La Verde: “We took the first final forward. What I liked the most was the conviction we had to win it ”. But ahead the path is still full of obstacles, the first is Venezuela, bottom of the qualifier.
“We will go step by step, the first step was fundamental against Bolivia and now we only have to think about Venezuela, that is the mentality we have,” said the Tiger.
After the Vinotinto, Peru will travel to face Colombia in January and host Ecuador in February. In March he will visit Uruguay and will be local to Paraguay.
In the five dates that remain to be played, Peru must win its matches in Lima (two games) and add on a visit to qualify for the World Cup.
Peru has a negative goal difference (-6), a detail that can be decisive when defining who travels to Qatar-2022 in case the score is tied.
“We are in a situation where all the matches will be final,” said Gareca, who has led Peru since March 2015, qualifying for the World Cup in Russia-2018, the first the Incas played in 36 years, since Spain-1982.
In addition, he was runner-up in the Copa América of Brazil-2019 and was fourth in this year’s continental tournament.
For his part, he referred to how complicated the other games will be. “We know that many things are at stake at this time. Every time there is less and we have to keep adding ”, declared goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.
“We continue in the fight. Never stop believing, ”Italian-Peruvian striker Gianluca Lapadula, who scored the first goal against Bolivia, wrote on his social networks.
Defender Cristhian Ramos said that now “we have to think about Venezuela, which is very difficult. We have to win there, playing well ”.
“Breathe with difficulty”
Former World Cup player Germán Leguía told AFP that with the overwhelming victory over Bolivia, Peru once again dreamed of Qatar.
“Peru did not play badly, it needed to be more forceful when it came to reaching the goal. For me it is quite exciting not only for having won, but also for the solvency and tranquility ”, said the former midfielder, 67, who wore the bicolor in Argentina-1978 and Spain-1982.
The journalist Pedro Canelo, from the newspaper TradeHe stressed that “Peru breathes, still with difficulty, but will arrive in Caracas alive.”
“You have to keep that thirst to rewrite the best stories. You have to arrive in Caracas very thirsty and celebrate with red wine, “he added. (D)
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
