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This Monday, the press conference of Juan Reynoso took place, where he referred to the list of players called up for the microcycle prior to the 2026 qualifiers and where he also had the opportunity to respond to the wave of criticism that fell upon him after gaining one point in the first four games of the tournament. Although a large part of the press conference focused on this, there was a question related to how he took Ricardo Gareca's statements about the performance of the Peruvian player, days after the match against Argentina.
To put it in context. After the 2-0 against the 'albiceleste', the national coach was asked why Joao Grimaldo and Bryan Reyna did not play the entire match and only entered in the second half, to which he replied, "Unfortunately, Bryan and Joao, who have impressive talent, are not able to sustain even 60 minutes. These are the deficiencies that the local league gives us. We saw it with Franco (Zanelatto), he had power and energy, but by the 50th minute he was done. The same would have happened if the two (Reyna and Grimaldo) had started."
In addition to the criticism this unleashed, there were also the statements made by Gareca in a private conference for a banking institution, where he stated, "The most important thing is what we think of ourselves. Do Peruvians not run? That's a lie. Peruvians run. We analyzed the Argentine and Brazilian leagues. We had data on how the other leagues that are very competitive are. We were faced with this fallacy. Peruvians are up to the level of the best leagues."
This contradiction of positions led to the press conference on Monday seeking the word of the national team coach in order to know his stance. However, his response was more diplomatic: "That is up to you to say. The truth is, I listen and read very little. I don't know in what context he said it, or what words he used, but I send a warm greeting to Ricardo, I appreciate him very much. I will not comment, because the truth is I have not read or heard anything that I would like to respond to now."
Peru's upcoming challenges in the 2026 qualifiers
After their last 0-2 defeat against Argentina, the Peruvian National Team will play again next month when they visit Bolivia for the fifth matchday of the 2026 qualifiers. This match is scheduled for Thursday, November 16th, starting at 3:00 p.m. (Peruvian time and one hour later in Bolivian territory). It will be played at the Hernando Siles stadium (La Paz) and will be broadcasted by América TV, ATV, and Movistar Deportes.
Subsequently, completing the last double matchday of 2023 – there will be no more matches until September 2024, after the Copa América of that year –, the 'Blanquirroja' will host Venezuela for the sixth matchday. This match is scheduled for Tuesday, November 21st, starting at 9:00 p.m. (Peruvian time and one hour later in Venezuelan territory), and will take place at the National Stadium. It will also be broadcasted in our country by the aforementioned channels.
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