The Peruvian National Team will return to play in a World Cup after 36 years of absence following their victory over New Zealand in the playoffs. Russia 2018 will be Peru's fifth World Cup appearance in their history and for Miguel Company, former coach of the national team, they should not only go to compete, but also aim for a significant position in the international arena.
"We have to share the joy, many years of anxiety and we are now in a World Cup. We should not settle for just being there or having a decent performance, we must go and compete and aim for an important place in the international arena," said the former coach in an interview with RPP Noticias.
Let it serve as an example. The last World Cup that the national team played was in Spain 1982. Company mentioned that the team that qualified was superior to their opponents and that during the pre-tournament tour, everything was positive. However, during the championship, certain managerial interests destabilized the harmony of the group, especially in the last match against Poland, where they lost 5-1. The former Sport Boys coach considers that this should serve as an example for Ricardo Gareca's team.
"Aside from that, times have changed and at the moment there is a little more respect for the national team. All these years of waiting have served to know that those who play are children of the Peruvian people. Now there is a promotion of 'supporting the national team' instead of 'destabilizing the national team'," he added.
No Pizarro, but Ascues and Benavente. In another part of the interview, Miguel Company explained that it is unlikely for Claudio Pizarro to play in the World Cup with Peru because the current situation requires a different type of player. He added that the coaching staff should pay attention to Carlos Ascues and Cristian Benavente, who could contribute goals and football in the Peruvian midfield.
