Raúl Ruidíaz
Raúl Ruidíaz was the main player blamed in Peru's 1-0 defeat against Brazil in the 2nd round of the South American Qualifiers 2026. It's no secret that the performance of the Seattle Sounders forward with the Peruvian national team has been under discussion for a long time, as he is unable to replicate what he shows in his club with the national team.
In that regard, Nolberto Solano, former assistant coach of Ricardo Gareca in the national team, was asked about Ruidíaz, who was heavily criticized for being in the picture of Marquinhos' goal, which meant Peru's defeat at the National Stadium.
"I believe they are circumstantial moments of the team. If Peru had achieved a draw in the last match, nobody would be talking about Raúl Ruidíaz. It is not good to give a responsibility of a specific moment or result to a player," commented 'Maestrito' on Fútbol Como Cancha from RPP.
"Raúl is in day-to-day training with his club, knows his teammates, and has a spectacular streak. The national team is about moments, and surprisingly, the national team is not for all players. And why? Because of the short time you have to adapt and perform," he added.
Regarding how comfortable the former Universitario forward may feel with the team, he indicated: "It's a matter of how Raúl feels. It's a matter that the coach, in this case Juan, believes in him and will give him confidence, and he will have to respond to that trust. We don't have to keep burdening him with that."
(Source: RPP Fútbol Como Cancha)
Solano assured that Ruidíaz didn't have many chances with Gareca
"During our time, he didn't have many opportunities because we found Paolo in a great moment, we found Farfán still in his great moment. So that's why he didn't participate that much," recalled 'Ñol' regarding the few minutes Ruidíaz had in Ricardo Gareca's team.
"We have to wait and give him time. We can't bury him, we can't afford it, we don't have that many players," Nolberto Solano concluded in relation to Raúl.
What are Ruidíaz's numbers with Peru?
Raúl Ruidíaz has played 55 matches with the national team, scoring only 4 goals (2 in friendly matches) and providing 4 assists (2 also in non-official games).