Cristian Benavente: why his arrival in Peruvian football brings him closer to the national team, taking Christian Cueva as an example

Only 13 minutes were enough for Cristian Benavente Bristol (Alcalá de Henares, Spain, 1994) to demonstrate its quality in Peruvian soccer. Raised in the bowels of Real Madrid, one of the best clubs in the world, ‘Chaval’ had a dream debut with Lima Alliance leaving behind the doubts for spending a year without football activity and having played only 20 games in the last two years. And also making it clear that he seeks to follow in the footsteps of christian cave, Edison Flores, Yoshimar Yotún and Luis Advíncula, four soccer players who relaunched their careers in the national league. He, at 27 years old, believes that he can still do it.

“He wants to be close to the Peruvian team. He knows that Ricardo Gareca and his work group closely monitor the players and even more so in the local tournament”Daniel Ahmed, a former U20 coach in 2013 who had ‘Bena’ as the main figure, told us a couple of weeks ago. If the attacker’s intention is to re-enter Ricardo Gareca’s universe, he started off on the right foot. Last Sunday he was the main protagonist of the party that took place in Matute. More than 20,000 aliancistas, who returned home after two years, applauded his entry, celebrated his great goal from a free kick and cheered him at the end of the game.

“. Benavente He is a player who stood out in a league like the Belgian one, which is among the top ten in Europe. He has technical and tactical resources to be noticed even though he may not be one hundred percent physically. He is like Jefferson Farfán last year: he was not in his physical prime, but he took a free throw from his sleeve and scored. Hierarchy cannot be bought and Benavente has it”analyzes Adrián Cabrejo, founder of Embajadores Criollos and one of the few who followed Cristian’s career from the beginning.

“The arrival of Christian Benavente It gives Peruvian soccer that expectation of observing it from a tactical point of view and valuing its contribution to raise the competitive level of the tournament”tells us Victor Riveratwo-time champion coach with San Martín in 2007-08. “He is a boy who lacked more opportunities in the Peruvian national team and in Alianza he will have them, I am sure of that”adds César ‘Chalaca’ Gonzales, a Peruvian coach.

For Víctor Zaferson, one of the most renowned Peruvian scouts, the level reached in Europe is enough for ‘bena‘ to stand out in League 1. Although “The issue now is to be regular in all games”. That is the next task of the forward: to be constant. Although he wants to be another one in the list of players who used Peruvian soccer as a springboard to relaunch his career and reach the Peruvian team.

The cases

christian cave It was not the first, but it was the most representative. The midfielder, today a fundamental piece of the national team on the way to Qatar 2022, returned to Peruvian soccer in 2014 after playing abroad (first the Spanish Union of Chile, where he was champion, and then Rayo Vallecano of Spain). ‘Aladino’ signed for Alianza Lima, he shone in his game but due to disciplinary issues he was removed from that definition of the Closing Tournament against Cristal that the intimate team ended up losing.

The following year, in 2015, he was summoned by Ricardo Gareca for the Copa América in Chile despite the fact that weeks before he had been sanctioned with three dates for having verbally assaulted the referee in an Alianza vs. Garcilaso. In the continental tournament, in which Peru won the bronze medal, Cueva played all six games and scored one goal. His performance made Toluca from Mexico sign him. Today, after having played a World Cup, Christian is a figure in Saudi Arabia’s Al Fateh as he prepares for the last double date of the Qualifiers in which he could give us the ticket to Qatar, or to the playoffs.

“What Benavente is looking for in Peru is to return to the psychological and soccer level that he had in his best seasons in Belgium. Have more confidence. Our tournament gives you that, it gives you the chance to relaunch your career as long as age helps you”says ‘Chalaca’ Gonzales.

“. There are soccer players with projection who left, did not consolidate, returned to Peru and their careers went into free fall. Going back can mean a step back to gain momentum. In the specific case of Benavente, is an intelligent player who is not known for scandals and who has a good record in Europe. If he makes a very clear difference, it is very likely that he will migrate to a much more competitive league ”adds Cabrejo.

Christian he has his mirror in Christian. If before it was said that he was the one to fight for the position, today we can affirm that Cueva must be his example of how League 1 benefits the footballer. And if he’s not ‘Aladdin’, he can be edison flowers, who left Universitario for Villarreal in Spain, but could not consolidate and returned to Ate to gain momentum and return to Europe once again (Aalborg in Denmark). Today he is in Major League Soccer in the United States.

The same thing happened with Yoshimar Yotun and Luis Advincula. Both returned to Sporting Cristal and were later sold to Europe. Today, ‘Yoshi’ is without a team, while ‘Lucho’ is the undisputed starter in Boca Juniors, a great Argentine.

“The Peruvian tournament is, in some particular cases, an opportunity to boost a player again so that he shows his best version, with more minutes and continuity”Rivera says.

“. He continues to summon Corzo, Canchita, Valera and Loyola from League 1. But he is also clear that playing abroad is more decisive. I doubt that Gareca will field five or six League 1 players as starters. The difference is noticeable”Zaferson adds.

Benavente, the selection and a problem with his position

“It is the position that best suits me”said Christian Benavente when asked about his entry as second striker, alongside Hernán Barcos. If his desire is to be considered by Ricardo Gareca again, there is a small obstacle that is obvious: his position on the field. La Blanquirroja plays with a single striker, there are few times that the ‘Tiger’ used, from the beginning or in the middle of a game, two strikers.

“He has football arguments to win a call, but that’s where the tactical issue also comes into play. Gareca’s Peru is not a team that fits Benavente’s way of playing. You also have to consider that the players he fights with for a roster spot compete in much more competitive leagues.”Cabrejo analyzes.

Zaferson believes that it will be difficult for the Blanquirroja coach to summon ‘Bena’ this year. “I would have to do something extraordinary for it to happen”, it says. Perhaps the Copa Libertadores is the showcase that “Chaval” needs.

Benavente began his love story with Alianza Lima in the best way, a club of which his family is a fan and he is on his way to that. However, the normal thing is going to be to see him play as a second striker, accompanying the ‘9’ and with freedom to move around the attack front. The 3-5-2 that Carlos Bustos uses could be beneficial for the ‘Chaval’, but it could also affect him if he is summoned to the Bicolor and plays in another position to which he is not accustomed.