Diego Otoya: The Future Peruvian Striker
Diego Otoya has everything to wear Paolo Guerrero's number 9 jersey. He is a striker with Peruvian roots thanks to his father. He was born in California in 2004 and currently plays for the San Jose Earthquakes II in the MLS Next Pro. He is 1.88 cm tall, has an ID card, and was called up to a mini training camp at Videna in early 2022. He was a practice player for the national team coached by Ricardo Gareca before the matches against Panama and Jamaica.
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Despite being born in the United States, the young striker is clear about which country he wants to represent in the not-so-distant future. "I dream of wearing the Peruvian national team jersey in the future. That's my goal," he declared to ESPN's Sports Center.
Otoya has similar characteristics to Paolo Guerrero, although his role model in the attack is Raul Ruidiaz. "I've seen him play in Seattle, and it's amazing how he eludes opponents," said the San Jose Earthquakes forward.
Like Otoya, Quembol Guadalupe from Orlando City, Diego Mejía from Atlanta United, and John Carlos Cortez from Red Bull are being watched by the FPF (Peruvian Football Federation) for a possible call-up to the U20 national team and the South American U20 Championship in 2023.