Gianluca Lapadula: With a case identical to ‘Bambino’, this is how Australia arrives for the World Cup repechage

The days go by and the date of the World Cup repechage is getting closer and closer. While the peruvian national team final details of its operation “Qatar 2022” –will face New Zealand in a friendly to be played in Spain-, Australia and the United Arab Emirates also move their chips although there are still no certainties about their next movements.

How do they play? Will they have friendlies before facing each other to define Peru’s rival? These are some questions that the Peruvian fan asks himself. The ticket to the next World Cup is not yet defined, much less assured. There are 90 minutes left, a single game and in Qatar, thousands of kilometers from the National Stadium. And no option to stumble.

In principle, as the former champion with Alianza Lima and Universitario, Jerry Tamashiro, who was part of Jorge Luis Pinto’s technical command who went to train the United Arab Emirates in 2020, informed us in an interview, we know that the Emirati team “it’s light”although “Australia is like the Uruguay of Diego Forlán, Edison Cavani, Arévalo Ríos and the Russian Pérez”. That is to say, a strong team, with the ability to beat us.

But beyond thinking about how each one plays, or where their footballers play, it is also necessary to know how they will arrive. Will they have a friendly on the next FIFA date at the end of May or will they only face each other before colliding with the Blanquirroja? We will tell you all of this in the following paragraphs.

United Arab Emirates, the closeness of their summoned

The Peruvian journalist Ienzo Duartean expert in Asian football, tells us that Argentine coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena, former Boca Juniors, “He has been following up on the players who are in the participating clubs of the Asian Champions League, whose group stage ends on April 27”. Of the 15 who have the best chance of starting in the duel against Australia on June 7, eight are in that tournament.

A singularity of this team is that all those who can be called up play in the local tournament. And if the calendar of the contest is taken into account (six dates are missing, it ends on May 25), there will not be much time to work. Worse still because of the physical wear and tear that they will all end up with.

It happens that Al Ain is the absolute pointer with 49 units, seven more than the second. However, the fight for the next two places that give tickets to the Asian Champions League is very even: Al Wahda (42 points), Al Jazira (41) and Sharjah FC (39) have chances and fight from date to date.

“It keeps me awake to lead the World Cup and make history with this team”said the Argentine Arruabarrena in an interview for a media outlet in his country. After managing three clubs from the United Arab Emirates, and two from Egypt, he reached the national team in February of this year and only played two games: one defeat and one victory.

Australia and a case like Lapadula

In Australia the picture is different, although it is not yet known how advantageous. Unlike the United Arab Emirates, the ‘Socceroos’ have most of their usual squad playing away, so they will only be available when the FIFA window opens (May 30) and there will not be much time to work. The only ones that remain among the main leagues of the Old Continent today are Matthew Ryangoalkeeper of the Royal Society of Spain and Ajdin Hrusticmidfielder for Eintracht Frankfurt.

In addition, they may not play any preparatory matches for the duel against the Emiratis. “Unless they play it between June 1 and 3,” Ienzo Duarte tells us, although that chance is unlikely given the risks they would take unnecessarily: fatigue, injuries, etc.

On the other hand, in search of having more weapons in attack, coach Graham Arnold would be seriously considering calling up Jason Cummings, Scottish forward of Australian mother who plays in the Central Coast of the first division of Australia. . “I would love to be there, it would be a dream”said a few weeks ago the ‘9’ who has seven goals in 16 games of the year and has already played two friendlies with Scotland in 2017 and 2018.

“He is a fighting forward, very active in attack. Typical British striker who knows how to collide with opposing defenders. He is also a good finisher”Australian rules football specialists on the Twitter page tell us “soccer australia”.

The problem could be that Cummings He would not have any previous friendly to meet his teammates, adapt to the style of play implanted by Arnold. Like Lapadula who made his Qualifiers debut in a clash against Chile, Jason could make his debut in the key match against the Emiratis.

Unlike the peruvian national team who is designing a plan to arrive in Qatar in optimal conditions for the World Cup repechage, the possible rivals are only waiting for the match that will define our rival. Of friendlies, nothing, for now.