The coach of the Peruvian national soccer team, Ricardo Gareca, called up 28 players for the pre-World Cup matches against Colombia, as a visitor, on January 28, and Ecuador, on February 1.
Havana, January 22 (RHC-- The coach of the Peruvian national soccer team, Ricardo Gareca, called up 28 players for the pre-World Cup matches against Colombia, as a visitor, on January 28, and Ecuador, on February 1st.
The list, which includes only ten players selected from the local league, is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Pedro Gallese (Orlando City, United States), Jose Carvallo and Angelo Campos.
Defenders: Luis Advíncula (Boca Juniors, Argentina), Aldo Corzo, Jhilmar Lora, Carlos Zambrano (Boca Juniors), Miguel Araujo (Emmen, Netherlands), Alexander Callens (New York City, United States), Luis Abraham (Cruz Azul, Mexico), Renzo Garcés, Miguel Trauco (Saint-Étienne, France), Marcos López (San José Earthquakes, USA) and Nilson Loyola.
Midfielders: Renato Tapia (Celta de Vigo), Pedro Aquino (America, Mexico), Wilder Cartagena (Al-Ittihad Kalba), Sergio Peña (Malmö FF, Sweden), Horacio Calcaterra (Argentine-Peruvian), Jairo Concha, Yoshimar Yotún, Cristopher Gonzales, André Carrillo (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia), Gabriel Costa (Colo Colo, Chile), Edison Flores (D. C. United, USA), Cristian Cueva (Al-Fateh, Saudi Arabia) and Raziel García (Deportes Tolima, Colombia).
Forwards: Gianluca Lapadula (Italian-Peruvian), Alex Valera and Santiago Ormeño (Mexican-Peruvian, Leon, Mexico).
The match against Colombia in the city of Barranquilla is considered key for the aspirations of both countries to qualify for this year's World Cup in Qatar.
Both are equal in the standings with 17 points, with Colombia in fourth place and Peru in fifth, due to the better goal difference of the first.
On the next matchday, February 1, Peru will host Ecuador, another tough opponent, in Lima, while Colombia will visit Argentina, a team that has already qualified and has been without its captain and star player, Leonel Messi, for the game.
On the penultimate date of the qualifying round, on March 24, Peru will visit the strong Uruguay team, while Colombia will host Bolivia, eighth in the standings.
On the final date of the pre-World Cup tournament, on March 29, Peru will host Paraguay, while Colombia will visit the already eliminated Venezuela.
