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Peru Team Guide

Peru

Peru Manager Julio Cesar Uribe looks like he is going to have a tough time of it at this season’s Copa America although he will have been boosted by the news that key striker Claudio Pizarro has agreed to join up with the squad. However, Peru who haven’t qualified for a World Cup since 1982 and only made it to the quarter finals last time out despite enjoying home advantage will need more than just Pizarro if they are to make a significant impact on the tournament. One other major advantage for Peru is their relatively light draw in the competition as they have been placed into Group A, which contains neither Brazil nor Argentina. With Bolivia also in this group, arguably the weakest nation at the tournament Peru’s prospect of progress at least to the knock out stage have been boosted.

Peru’s main disadvantage will be the lack of altitude as the Peruvian Federation tends to move most home games in the South American qualifying section to the town of Cusco high in the Andes and home to Cienciano, who beat Boca Juniors comfortably in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores 3-0. This move is currently under debate by FIFA who are looking at proposals to ban this. If this ban were to come into force then this tournament represents a good opportunity for the Peruvian federation to see how their team fares whilst playing at sea-level.

Another key issue will be how Pizarro integrates with the squad as he hasn’t played with them since last autumn following a row with the previous coach about a night out during preparation for a friendly in Japan. How the squad accept Pizarro’s return undoubtedly one of their biggest assets remains to be seen.

Uribe tends to favour a 4-4-2 system which will almost certainly be led by his European based players with Jefferson Farfan of PSV and Claudio Pizarro, recently acquired by Chelsea, playing up front. The majority of the squad (approximately two thirds) play their football in the Peruvian league with a broad cross section of clubs supplying players.

The Peruvian FA have gone with three goalkeepers all locally based. Leao Butron looks the most likely starter he has kept goal this season for Peruvian Champions Deportivo San Martin from Lima. His competition will be provided by Cienciano’s keeper Juan Flores and George Forsyth (not the author but a keeper with Alianza Lima of Scottish descent).

Peru’s most notable defenders are Santiago Acasiete who will be playing his football next season in La Liga with Almeria. The defender won promotion this season with his club from the Segunda in Spain playing in front of ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld. He has played nearly 100 times for the Andalucian based side and also has 15 caps to this name. Another likely starter is Alberto Rodriguez a centre back currently under contract to Sporting Braga. At 22 he is yet to break into the first team at the Superliga outfit on a regular basis having appeared only 9 times for them, although his work in training has drawn comparisons to current Stuttgart and Portugal international Fernando Meira. It is rumoured that a number of larger clubs are tracking his progress including Deportivo la Coruna and Bayern Munich and a strong Copa America with Peru could propel him into the limelight.

On the right flank Juan Manuel Vargas currently at Catania in Italy could be a candidate for a starting place. The wing-back cum winger has caught the eye this season and was invited to train with Portsmouth prior to his transfer from Colon in Argentina where he had been playing until the beginning of the European season. Although Portsmouth declined to take him on Catania have done so and he has done well in the 23 appearances he has made for the Italians. There have been several favourable comparisons made between him and Nolberto Solano

In the midfield Peru will have an unfamiliar look about them as Uribe has elected not to call up Newcastle midfielder Nolberto Solano. Solano, who made himself available for the tournament, has been told that he will be called upon for the World Cup qualifiers that begin in the autumn. Juan Carlos Bazalar is the oldest player in the squad at 38 years old and he could be called upon to play a holding midfield role. Pedro Garcia looks to be the most attacking of the players called up. His recent record domestically suggests a player who knows where the back of the net is; he has rattled in 11 in 38 matches for current Peruvian champions San Martin in the last championship.

One option open to Uribe if he wishes to accommodate more of his European based striking talent is to move Jefferson Farfan to the right side of midfield and play him as winger. Farfan who joined PSV, after the previous Copa America in 2003, as right winger has matured into an impressive striker with an excellent strike ratio in the Dutch league scoring 50 goals in just under 90 games for the team that has been crowned champions in every season that Farfan has played for them. Farfan finished top scorer overall in the last qualifying campaign recording 7 goals. His form has sparked the interest of some major clubs around Europe and Newcastle, perhaps on the recommendation of his erstwhile national team colleague Solano, are reportedly preparing a bid for him.

Up front Peru posses some good options and their front line may cause some problems to unwary defences. The biggest name arguably of the squad is Claudio Pizarro. Although the 28 year old had a relatively disappointing time of it in the Bundesliga last season with Munich giants Bayern he still managed 8 goals in 33 games. His best season with the Bavarian giants was his first one when he enjoyed a strike ratio of a goal every other game with 15 goals coming in only 30 appearances. He is a deadly finisher on his day with a sharp turn of pace and he could well trouble the likes of Bolivia and Venezuela. He will be supported by one time Bayern colleague Jose Paolo Guerrero who left Bayern last summer for HSV Hamburg, this was despite scoring 6 goals in his first 13 games for the club. Despite spending the season in a squad struggling for collective form the youngster still recorded 5 goals in 20 appearances. He is also a lively striker and big things are still hoped for of the 23 year old.

Other options for Uribe include Andres Mendoza who is playing for Ukrainian side Metalurg Donetsk. He previously had spells with Club Brugge and Marseille and has been playing for Dutch coach Co Adriaanse in the Ukraine. Another option is Miguel Mostto the second player in the side to under contract to a club in England. Mostto who was the top scorer in the Peruvian league for the last two seasons with his club side Cienciano has scored 19 and 21 goals respectively in the last two seasons. This has persuaded Barnsley to spend £40,000 on bringing the Peruvian to English football. He will he hoping to have a greater impact on English club football than his current national colleague Ysrael Zunigar. Zunigar had an unsuccessful spell at then Premiership outfit Coventry City managing only 3 goals in 28 games before being shipped back to Peru before the end of the season.

Peru like so many teams will be hoping for the opportunity to rebuild to mount a more successful campaign to qualify for South Africa 2010. Their final match of the group is against Bolivia where they will be hoping they will be in a position to qualify themselves for the knock out stage.

Main man: Jefferson Farfan has to be considered the most important player to the success of Peru in this tournament. His versatility means that he can be employed either as a right winger or to the right of a three man attack if Uribe wishes to accommodate more of his striking talent. Peru are fortunate to have in their squad a player of Farfan’s talents and the PSV striker’s obvious finishing abilities as well as his movement on and off the ball will be crucial to Peru’s chances.

Posted by Walter Townsend on Saturday, 23rd June 2007

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