Pre-match of the spicy duel between Paraguay vs. Peru for the first matchday of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Let's remember that both teams will face each other on Thursday, September 7th, at the Antonio Aranda Encina Stadium in Ciudad del Este.
Pier Larrauri, former Alianza Lima player, leaves Liga 2 to sign with a European club
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In that sense, the remembered Paraguayan goalkeeper, Jacinto Rodríguez, who defended the Sport Boys and Alianza Lima shirt in Peru in the 90s of the previous century, affirmed that he sees the Peruvian national team with better eyes collectively speaking.
And let's review that despite having some new names, Juan Reynoso has chosen to maintain the great base of players that Ricardo Gareca left in his last two processes. Therefore, the local players know each other better on the field.
"I think that in the Qualifiers, everything becomes very difficult because all the teams give their best. I believe that in that sense (at the team level) Peru is slightly ahead of Paraguay," said former goalkeeper Jacinto Rodríguez in an interview with GOLPERU.
Who was Jacinto Rodríguez?
He was a Paraguayan goalkeeper who also holds Peruvian nationality. Currently, he also works as a coach and in 2008 had the opportunity to coach Sport Boys. And in his time as a player, he was a champion of the second division of Paraguay with Cerro Corá in 1990.