Alberto Colchado on training with Peru: “I wanted to live this opportunity to have something with the national team and let them know about me” | INTERVIEW

Alberto Colchado, young goalkeeper 1993, of Peruvian descent (Peruvian father and Spanish mother), was invited to take part in the under-20 sparring, which work with the Peruvian absolute team, with a view to the duels against Uruguay and Paraguay for the Qatar 2022 Qualifiers.

He is 1.90 cm tall, currently playing in the Sporting Hortaleza of the National Youth League in Madrid. Tournament that he plays with teams such as Getafe, Alavés, among others.

Alberto Colchado pauses his training sessions with the bicolor to chat alone with Infobae about the first experience he has been having with the national team and gives details about his training in Spain, where he spent his training at Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano.

How did you feel working with the U20 and Professor Gustavo Roverano?

The truth is, which is crazy, since there was this option of being able to get here to the national team, I have always worked for that, and I think that in the end, the fruit of the training is here. A pleasure to be here with people of such a level as the U20 and I want to continue working to continue being elected.

How did the group receive you?

Everyone has been very kind to me and with regard to training they are very hard. I have never experienced training of this caliber. I have realized that training with people of this level, it is a luxury for anyone.

How was this possibility given for you to become part of the Peruvian national team?

My analyst and second coach of Sporting Hortaleza are Peruvians, they were contacted. That's where they called my father. Then, I talked to Víctor Reyes to make this possibility happen and in the end it happened. I am happy for this opportunity.

Did you talk to Professor Gustavo Roverano?

Roverano was there one day, but I haven't talked to him alone, he saw me in training and I'm going to continue training as a sparring with the senior team, My flight to Madrid leaves on March 28. I know that at the end of May there is a friendly U20 tournament and let's see if there is an opportunity to be called back to participate.

How was the experience of being sparring with the Peruvian national team?

Gareca has not talked to us because he is focused on his players, since there is a very important date coming up for the national team, such as the matches against Uruguay and Paraguay, which can rule our passage to the World Cup for the second time in a row. I wanted to live this opportunity to have something with the national team and let them know about me.

And what surprised you about Gareca's work?

He always does real game actions and situations that can happen in the match. That ultimately helps in the game.

Have you talked to Ricardo Gareca?

Gareca has not talked to us because he is focused on his players, since there is a very relevant date for the national team, such as the matches against Uruguay and Paraguay, which can dictate our move to the World Cup for the second time in a row.

Do you get to the national team at a valuable time, where Peru plays important things?

That's what Victor Reyes told us that we arrived on a date, which is very crucial for the selection. In the end there are two games where Peru plays everything. Peru must be ready for anything and we as a sparring have to help them.

Of the players of the Peruvian national team, who surprised you with their technique?

I've seen Yoshimar Yotun these days and he seems like a crack technically, physically. He is the most technical, but remember that not everyone has come, since they have matches with their clubs.

But did Christian Cueva arrive last night?

The thing is, he was at the gym today.

'Why did you decide to play goalkeeper?

When I was little, I reached the lower categories of Rayo Vallecano and next to my parents we were sitting and they said, in what position do you want to play? And I said: “I'm going to be a goalkeeper because it's the position that fewer boys choose, however, you see the training of a goalkeeper, it's exhausting, but at that moment I decided the position that's why I decided the position.”

But is being an archer a very difficult position?

It is very difficult, because in the end you are subject to the ruling, everyone is aware of the error, which can happen at any time and can happen to anyone. For me Pedro Gallese is the best goalkeeper, for example, in the 2019 Copa America, where we lost the final, Gallese had a failure to Brazil in the group stage and then was key to the victory against Chile in the semifinals. I think that the mentality he has makes him one of the best, since any goalkeeper falls and the team notices it. But Gallese, even though I failed, is always up there.

Do you dream of making it to the absolute Peruvian national team?

Yes, I wish. The truth is that it would be a luxury, a madness and I would give everything. I, getting that jump to the national team, would go to big clubs in Spain.

Despite being born in Spain, why do you want to play for Peru?

Apart from my father and family, I have always seen Peru as a reference to me. Peru competes against whoever competes, even though it has a difficult match, it took it forward or was striving to win. I have always seen Spain as a superior team to other rivals and there were even matches where I didn't strive to score enough goals.

Is this your first time coming to Peru?

I was baptized here in Peru and have come three times. This opportunity is my fourth, but I came when I was very young. That's why I don't remember much.

How do you describe training football in Spain?

Back in Spain, entering a big club is very difficult because in each club only one goalkeeper plays. Being on the bench and not being able to show yourself to the public doesn't do much for you. In Real Madrid only one goalkeeper plays, the other two play nothing. Each coach has his starting eleven and it varies little from there. Being a goalkeeper is complicated by those issues. In the end, it all depends on how confident you have with your coach and the club. You have to work so that the fruits come to fruition, instead, if you start to decline and you see that the coach doesn't trust you, that's when you have to change for the results to happen.

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