Peru plays ‘another final’ against Venezuela

Peru hopes before the bottom Venezuela to relaunch its aspirations to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World CupThis was five days after the 3-0 victory over Bolivia, a result that restored his faith.

“It’s another final,” said the coach of the Peruvian team, Ricardo Gareca, with a view to the duel in Caracas, at the Olympic Stadium of the Central University of Venezuela, for the fourteenth date of the South American World Cup qualifier, in which he recovers a key piece in the middle of the court, Yoshimar Yotún.

“We will go step by step. The first step was essential before Bolivia and now you just have to think about Venezuela “, commented the coach Argentine at a press conference. “We are in a situation where all the games will be final.”

Gareca and his team add 14 points after Thursday’s victory, decided with goals from Gianluca Lapadula, Christian Cueva and Sergio Peña. They march seventh, behind undefeated Brazil, which has already guaranteed a place in Qatar and leads the table with 34; Argentina with 28; Ecuador with 20; and Chile, Colombia and Uruguay with 16 each.

Venezuela, evicted, is on the last rung with just 7 units. It will be the goodbye of his coach, the interim Leonardo González, who took office in August after the Portuguese Jose Peseiro rescinded his contract denouncing 14 months of non-payments. The Argentinian José Pékerman, according to the local press, would command the team from January 2022.

‘A tough rival’

Yotún is expected to return to the Peru lineup after suspension, although Christofer Gonzales had a solid presentation in his place. Luis Abram, for his part, would form a pair of centrals with Christian Ramos due to the loss due to injury of Alexander Callens.

Goalkeeper Angelo Campos was called at the last minute by Carlos Cáceda, positive for COVID-19 according to Peruvian media.

The confrontation between Peru and Venezuela in Lima in the current tie, on September 5, he opted in favor of the white and red by 1-0 with both Cueva, in a match in which the Vinotinto captain, Tomás Rincón, was expelled.

And in the Copa América-2021 the Peruvians also won by the same score.

Nevertheless, Peru has been without winning for 24 years in its visits to Venezuela. “It will be a very difficult game (…). They will play at home, they have always been a very tough opponent, ”said Renato Tapia.

‘We are not going to stop fighting’

Although entering the World Cup is virtually impossible, the Venezuelan squad, which lost 1-0 to Ecuador in Quito on Thursday, promises to fight.

“We are not going to stop fighting,” said Eric Ramírez on Sunday., who has been number 9 due to the long absence of Salomón Rondón.

González, who said that the match against Peru – his eighth commitment as interim manager – will be his last, will once again feature full-backs Ronald Hernández and Oscar González. Loses suspended midfielder José ‘El Brujo’ Martínez.

One doubt is in the goal, in which Wuilker Faríñez, Joel Graterol and Rafael Romo have been rotating.

The match starts at 5:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. in Ecuador), with Brazilian Bruno Arleu as the main referee. (D)

Probable lineups

Venezuela

Rafael Romo; Ronald Hernández, Yordan Osorio, Nahuel Ferraresi, Oscar González; Tomás Rincón, Junior Moreno, Eduard Bello, Jefferson Savarino, Darwin Machís; Eric Ramirez. DT: Leonardo González.

Peru

Pedro Gallese; Luis Advíncula, Christian Ramos, Luis Abram, Miguel Trauco; Sergio Peña, Renato Tapia, Yoshimar Yotún; André Carrillo, Gianluca Lapadula, Christian Cueva. DT: Ricardo Gareca.