Peruvian national team announces its squad for World Cup qualifiers
Rodriguez took over the position of striker for Internacional de Porto Alegre's Paolo Guerrero, the captain and all-time top scorer for the Peruvian national team, who will be sidelined until early next year due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Mexican-Peruvian forward Santiago Ormeño from Puebla is not included in this list of 30 players. Ormeño, grandson of Peruvian-Mexican goalkeeper Walter Ormeño, has attracted attention due to his strong performances in recent weeks and there is interest in calling him up for the Peruvian national team. However, Gareca explained that he chose Rodriguez since he has been following him for a long time, even before Ormeño, and highlighted his good performances with Binacional before signing with America de Cali. "He has a great opportunity," warned the Argentine coach.
Furthermore, the Peruvian coach indicated that he has not yet spoken directly with Ormeño, but he hopes that Ormeño will express his desire to wear the Peruvian national team jersey so that he can be considered for future call-ups.
Gareca reiterated that he is aware of Ormeño's performances, who has scored four goals in seven matches this season for Puebla, coached by Peruvian coach Juan Reynoso, with whom the Argentine coach maintains "a great relationship".
Ormeño was also not considered by the Mexican coach Gerardo Martino for the next match of the Mexican national team against Guatemala.
The extensive squad selected by Gareca also highlights the inclusion of midfielders David Dioses from Deportivo Municipal and Raziel García from César Vallejo, two young players who are shining in the restart of the Peruvian league.
The Peruvian coach once again relies mostly on the group of players who qualified for the 2018 World Cup, which marked the return of the Peruvian national team to a World Cup after 36 years.
The Argentine does not hide that the goal of the Peruvian national team is to achieve that success again: "We need to be in the World Cup and that is our goal. We know the challenge is very difficult, very complicated, but that's our aim."
Gareca is so confident in his players that he is not worried that some of them have not played an official match for about six months, such as defenders Luis Abram from Vélez Sarsfield and Miguel Trauco from Saint-Étienne.
"This is a long process and we need to be well-prepared. We are a team with experience and a path already traveled. Every point is fundamental and we need to start very focused from the first match," he pointed out.
For Gareca, it doesn't change anything if the qualifiers are postponed again until early 2021 because he is sure that all the teams will start this qualifying phase with the same uncertainties.
"We all start at the same level. I don't know which team can say it arrives at a superlative level with this crisis and pandemic," said Gareca.
"Then we will see which team adapts better and faster. That's what we aspire to. No team had contact with its players. We will start on an equal footing in that aspect. We hope to adapt quickly," he concluded.
The Peruvian national team will play the first round of the qualifiers on October 8 as a visitor against Paraguay at the Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asunción, and five days later they will host Brazil at the Estadio Nacional in Lima.
The 30 players called up by Gareca are:
Goalkeepers: Pedro Gallese (Orlando City-USA), José Carvallo (Universitario), Carlos Cáceda (Melgar)
Defenders: Aldo Corzo (Universitario), Luis Advíncula (Rayo Vallecano-ESP), Miguel Araujo (Emmen-NED), Carlos Zambrano (Boca Juniors-ARG), Christian Ramos (César Vallejo), Luis Abram (Velez Sarsfield-ARG), Alexander Callens (New York City-USA), Anderson Santamaría (Atlas-MEX), Miguel Trauco (Saint-Étienne-FRA), Marcos López (San José Earthquakes-USA), Nilson Loyola (Sporting Cristal)
Midfielders: Renato Tapia (Celta de Vigo-ESP), Pedro Aquino (León-MEX), Wilder Cartagena (Godoy Cruz-MEX), Yoshimar Yotún (Cruz Azul-MEX), Christofer Gonzáles (Sporting Cristal), Christian Cueva (Yeni Malatyaspor-TUR), Sergio Peña (Emmen-NED), David Dioses (Deportivo Municipal), André Carrillo (Al Hilal-SAU), Andy Polo (Portland Timbers-USA), Edison Flores (DC United-USA), Raziel García (César Vallejo)
Forwards: Jefferson Farfán (unattached), Raúl Ruidíaz (Seattle Sounders-USA), Yordy Reyna (DC United-USA), Aldair Rodríguez (América de Cali-COL)