The coach Juan Reynoso confirmed that there was a plan for the national team to play some matches at high altitudes, although the position has changed after the first friendlies. This Friday, the strategist gave a press conference and explained the reason why it would not be beneficial for the 'Blanquirroja' to have matches in the interior of the country.
"In my particular case, going back to Arequipa is always a joy, since I lived there for four years. Even more so now, with what the national team conveys, the people gave themselves and thank God we had a good result," the coach said, referring to the 1-0 victory over Bolivia last September.
However, Reynoso quickly highlighted a negative aspect: "It is clear to us that we give a certain advantage without many players who are adapted to the altitude. That is why we talk about trying to go to the highlands when the universe of players who perform in that condition is greater,".
"Today, I believe that the national team has become strong in Lima and we will continue to take advantage of that opportunity, until we increase the number of local players who are active at high altitude or in Mexico, perhaps also in Bogotá or Quito," added Juan Reynoso before the media.
In that sense, the 'Cabezón' stated that the objective is to expand the squad with athletes accustomed to those conditions. "When they are fully adapted, we will surely be encouraged to play in high-altitude cities. Before that, it will be complicated because in the match against Bolivia in Arequipa, with them more adapted to the altitude, we saw how it cost us more in the last 15 minutes, despite being at home," concluded the coach.