Andy Polo and Ray Sandoval: Why were you called up for the friendlies against Germany and Morocco?

They are not necessarily the notable stars of the local tournament, nor are they the highest scorers: Ray Sandoval has not scored this year with Atlético Grau in 4 games -but he scored 9 in 31 games in 2022-, and Andy Polo the same in 6 games (with the aggravating factor of that in 28 games last year, he scored only 1 goal). However, Juan Reynoso has detected something in both forwards, with the possibility of playing as wines in the national team, which the rest of us do not see.

Saturday March 18, 4:12 pm, the official account of the Peruvian team informs the list of 26 summoned, facing the friendlies against Germany and Morocco, to be played on Saturday March 25 and Tuesday March 28 respectively.

Of the 26 summoned, the surprise for many is the presence of Ray Sandoval, player of Atlético Grau, and Andy Polo, winger of Universitario de Deportes.

El Comercio learned how both players found out about their call to the Peruvian team. In the case of Ray Sandoval, this newspaper gave him the news through a phone call. The 28-year-old winger was surprised and told us: “Is the list out yet? Well, it makes me very happy and happy, now I have to take advantage of the opportunity that I have again with the national team, ”he said at first. Sandoval could have minutes this Saturday against Germany and thus test his level.

Let’s remember that Ray Sandoval’s last call-up, with the Peruvian team, was in September 2018, when the bicolor played two games against Germany and the Netherlands and even played this last game for a few minutes in the 2-1 defeat.

For that reason, these games against Germany and Morocco for Ray Sandoval are special and during the work week in Videna, he did everything possible to fill the eyes of Juan Reynoso, coach of the Peruvian team.

“I simply paid attention to the teacher’s instructions, what he asked for and thus do things well,” he said.

On Juan Reynoso’s work methodology, Ray Sandoval revealed it. “He looks for an intense, fast and aggressive game. We all work to be part of the team, those of us who are called up and those who are not, as every professional player longs to be here. Tell the fan that we are going to give our all and we will come out with a winning mentality as we have to face these types of matches”.

-The Polo case-

The Andy Polo case is particular: the ‘U’ signed him in the middle of last year in a risky bet, since he not only came from a certain inactivity, but also with a judicial problem pending to be resolved in the United States -SEE HERE-. He was reinforced with a player from the house, yes, but also with a memory: Andy could not be the cream scorer that was expected, nor the winger with decisive offensive influence for the club. Until Jorge Fossati arrived, he relocated him as winger in line 5 and the call of the national team came.

Polo is not unknown to Videna: in fact, he was a World Cup player in Russia in 2018. The news of his return was received by his relatives, his WhatsApp did not start to stop and he took the news with great enthusiasm, according to what someone told us very close to the player. Andy was at the concentration hotel, since hours later he was playing a match against ADT-which in the end would be a 3-1 victory to the delight of his people who attended the Monumental Stadium.

The latest information that Universitario manages about his judicial problems is the following: the United States justice filed a complaint for domestic violence filed by Génesis Alarcón, his ex-partner and mother of two of his minor children.

Now, the footballer is focused on having a good performance with the national team: up to three coaches with whom DT has been able to speak, who know Polo, recognize the tactical discipline that Andy Polo has to make the pressing routes and distribution of the ball, a virtue that he hopes will succeed against Germany and Morocco.

Finally, an explanation: if this Saturday Juan Reynoso tries a flexible 3-5-2 system, with full-backs that today are André Carrillo and Edison Flores, it is urgent to look for possible competitions in the local environment, experienced footballers who can meet that work, elements whose tactical discipline can be at the service of a team that is going to be attacked more than it thinks in the Qualifiers.

Like Ray Sandoval and Andy Polo.