Peruvian national team: Lionel Scaloni, Argentina coach, wants the 'bicolor' in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

The Peruvian national team was the last to ensure its presence in the play-off before the Qatar 2022 World Cup after winning home against Paraguay on the last date of the South American Qualifiers. The victory got him into this phase regardless of the results of his top pursuers such as Colombia and Chile, who were eliminated. In that sense, Lionel Scaloni, coach from Argentina, showed his preference for the 'bicolor' to win the representative of Asia and reach the World Cup event.

First of all, the young DT analyzed the group that played the 'Albiceleste', which is made up of Mexico, Poland and Saudi Arabia. “Whatever I touched we were going to accept. It's a group with difficult teams. Mexico is a rival we know, difficult. Poland ended up beating Sweden well and Arabia scored very well. We respect everyone. We think we can do well, we can do a good group stage but the respect is maximum,” Scaloni said in an interview for TyC Sports.

Precisely, the 'Aztec' team was going to be one of the Argentinians' rivals on the next FIFA international friendly date in May, so with the resolution of this draw, they will have to think about another opponent. “He fell, looking for another one, he was the only one who had insurance. Now to look for something on the other hand, but without a doubt that it is not an important thing about friendlies or playing against rivals. I think we know how we want to play. Logically I would like to prepare for the World Cup by playing and if it is not possible against rivals in this category, look for another one,” he said.

FAN FOR PERU

That's when he gave his opinion on the 'white-red', taking into account that the best qualified in the group of the 'gaucho' (C) draw will have confrontations against those of the group from Peru (D). “We just talked about it with Walter Samuel and hopefully Peru will pass. 3 out of 4 would be repeated in the other group. Incredible. We would cross with that group. We more or less had the road seen,” he added.

There is still a way to go. In fact, only 90 minutes separate the national team from the possibility of playing the World Cup again after what was done in Russia 2018. And it is that with coach Ricardo Gareca this chance would be given consecutively, since he was the architect of the Peruvian qualification for an event of this magnitude after 36 years. On that occasion, the Peruvians played against the representative of Oceania, which at that time was New Zealand. They were back and forth matches, both in Wellington and in Lima. In the end, it was a 2-0 global score that allowed the 'bicolor' to be present again at the World Cup thanks to goals from Jefferson Farfan and Christian Ramos.

REPECHAGE AND POSSIBLE WORLD CUP GROUP

For this occasion, the situation is different, as it will play against a team from the Asian Qualifiers: Australia or the United Arab Emirates. Unlike the last edition, it will be a single match and in Doha, Qatar, one of the World Cup venues.

And as Scaloni said, in the event that it overcomes this phase, it would join the group consisting of France, Denmark and Tunisia, repeating in this way, 3 teams that faced each other in the same group in Russia 2018. Precisely, in the previous major sporting event, Australia was the one that was in Tunis, where the French and Danes went to the round of 16.

In addition, Argentina would collide with any of these teams again if they advance in their group. Similarly, for the World Cup held in Russia, the 'gauchos' passed with Croatia in group D and met the first in group C, which were France and Denmark, respectively. Coincidences of football and where this time Peru will seek revenge against the cast of Christian Eriksen.

KEEP READING