Peru vs. France: Follow LIVE the match for Group C of Russia 2018
The Peruvian National Team will face their French counterparts on Thursday in a crucial match for Group C of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The team coached by Ricardo Gareca will look to recover the points lost against Denmark in order to secure a spot in the round of 16. The match will take place at the Central Stadium, also known as the Ekaterinburg Arena, located in a city that marks the border between Europe and Asia.
Ekaterinburg is a city that has successfully blended sports with culture. This place is home to 27 universities, 40 museums, and 62 libraries. Additionally, there are 1200 sports halls, 16 professional stadiums, and 50 Olympic training pools in this city. The Central Stadium represents the easternmost venue of the World Cup in Russia.
Peru is up against France, and just like last Saturday in Saransk against Denmark, they will be playing at home. Thousands of voices have made their way to this remote city to support the team led by Argentine coach Ricardo Gareca.
Unverifiable estimates speak of 20,000 fans who filled the stadium with a capacity of 35,000. It is impossible to look in any corner of the city without seeing the red and white colors that characterize the Peruvian emblem.
On a cloudy and colorless day with intermittent showers, Peru's fans filled the center of the fourth largest city in Russia, the only one in Asia to host the World Cup. The chants of "How could I not love you?" filled the commercial arteries of the city, coexisting with the daily life of the locals.
Many Peruvians take photographs in front of one of the Lenin monuments in the city to keep a memory of a place that could enter Peruvian legend if they manage to defeat the giant French team, the runner-up of Europe and one of the title contenders. As the match time approached, the fans headed to the Central Stadium of the city, an imposing venue that still preserves the decorations from the Soviet era and has been renovated for the World Cup, with two additional grandstands to meet FIFA's minimum capacity requirements.
It was an authentic human tide, festive and playful, turning the pre-match into a demonstration of Peruvian power. Most of the stands were covered in the red and white colors that surpassed the blue of the "bleus" of Didier Deschamps, encouraged by their most popular fan, Clement from Antibes, a fan from the French Riviera who travels to every French national team match accompanied by a rooster, the national symbol of France.
EFE