The revenge group: Peru and the great chance to show that Russia 2018 was not a coincidence

Soccer gives revenge, an old popular phrase that the Peruvian team could live in Qatar 2022. The World Cup draw gave us that possibility in case the Bicolor reaches the World Cup contest.

The draw determined that the winner of the playoff between Conmebol and Asia dispute Group D where France, Denmark and Tunisia wait, two countries that Peru faced in Russia 2018. The word revenge sounds again.

We all remember the debut against the Danes and the misfortune of Christian Cueva’s penalty and Guerrero’s anger at not being a starter. There may be revenge, for both.

We have faced Denmark twice in history, both times with defeat. The first was in the 1997 Gold Cup. We met in Pasadena and lost 2-1. The second was the one already mentioned in Russia, where Poulsen’s goal soured our debut.

Before France the antecedents are well known. That 1981 friendly that we won with a goal from Juan Carlos Oblitas in the Parque de los Príncipes and the World Cup match four years ago.

We Peruvians are still seeing how Pedro Aquino’s shot crashes into the French crossbar, and we regret the unfortunate rebound left by Kylian Mbappé to score the goal for the Europeans.

Facing the world champion will put us in the eyes of the world. The Bicolor has the ability to get there – it has to win the playoff against the Asians – and once again show the world that Russia 2018 was no coincidence.

Meanwhile, against Tunisia there is only one precedent. It was a friendly at the beginning of 2012 in which we drew 1-1 away. In that game, Sergio Markarán sent Diego Penny, Roberto Guizasola, Carlos Zambrano, Santiago Acasiete, Yoshimar Yotún, Luis Ramírez, Antonio Gonzales, Rinaldo Cruzado, Juan Vargas, Claudio Pizarro and Paolo Guerrero to the field.

Ben Yahia opened the scoring for the locals after a bad start between Yotún and Acasiete. Pizarro equalized the result at the end of the first half via penalty after a foul on ‘Cachito’. For the second part, Jefferson Farfán and André Carrillo entered.

Thus, ten years later, Peru could face the Africans again. In Qatar, the Bicolor would once again be before the eyes of the world and this time it will go for more. Of course, first you have to win that playoff.

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