“An attachment to nostalgia” and “you should know that you are not a starter”: the analysis of the return of Paolo Guerrero to the national team

When life was still zoomed in, and it seemed like a century was left to take off our masks, Juan Reynoso accepted the brief tour with some means to talk about what his plan was going to be. selection. It was autumn 2022. Among the things that the new coach of the team said to El Comercio at the time – “Cueva is the first to raise his hand to be there”, “Ruidíaz is a time scorer” or “this is the best time to the order”- one was the most premonitory: “When Paolo is well, he will be there. He doesn’t need to prove anything with this shirt.”

A few believed.

Well, this noon the decision of the technical command was confirmed, which had several chapters in recent months and which left Reynoso’s trip to Argentina as the last sign, to talk with Racing’s own goalscorer and the other Peruvian at the Academy, Catriel Cabellos. . In six months he has already played 17 games in the season, almost double what he played in Avai in one year (10). Perhaps there is the main reason for his return. That and a mixture of a cult of nostalgia with a poverty of spare parts: even at 39, Paolo Guerrero is one of the three best strikers the team has to call up.

By the way, we summoned ten journalists to answer two questions from this DT Survey:

1. Is it the ideal moment for the return of Paolo Guerrero to the national team?

2. Should Paolo be the starter or is Lapadula the starter in the friendlies against Korea (16/6) and Japan (20/6)?

Daniel Kanashiro, host of DirecTV SPORTS

1. I think it is time to find out if you are going to be part of the process or not. Take advantage of the fact that Paolo is in competition to establish with the Technical Command what are the real possibilities of being able to sustain himself over time.

2. The owner is Lapadula without a doubt, the problem starts with knowing who can second him…if it’s Polo or not, they will determine that now that the rehearsals are over because the next time they get together again it will be in September already in the playoffs

Ángel Hugo Pilares, web editor EC.

1. For Paolo, any moment is ideal. As long as he understands that all the players have processes and that the good of the collective is above the desire to be. That his role now is not that of the caudillo, but that of the silent leader that he accompanies and that, a thousand times, can save our necks.

2. Saying “I don’t know” to the question is a slightly cowardly way of saying “I don’t think so”. By age and by actuality, Lapadula seems to be the safest option. By projection, perhaps Valera. But that doesn’t mean we don’t jump with excitement when we see that the Warrior has arrived.

Pedro Ortiz Bisso, journalist, host of the Trinchera Crema podcast.

1. No. Guerrero’s call has a nostalgic aspect, an attachment: the memory of what once was. At the same time, he tries to disguise a terrible reality: we have no alternatives.

2. The great tragedy of Peruvian soccer is that Lapadula and Valera have no replacement and that the team coach must seek the return of a player who is not a starter on his team and who will be 40 years old in a few months.

Horacio Zimmermann – Movistar Sports

1. The ideal in a 39-year-old player is different from a younger one. Today his ideal is to play and, although he is not undisputed in Racing, he adds important minutes.

2.The owner is Lapadula.

Luis ‘Cuto’ Guadalupe – Columnist Trome

1. I consider that it is always good to have the presence of the captain. Paolo Guerrero will always contribute from where he has to be in the Peruvian team. He is a positive leader for the bicolor. He has hierarchy and experience that cannot be bought in the corner. I am glad for his return to the Peruvian team since he worked very hard for his return. He psyched himself up for this moment. In particular, I salute the return of Guerrero to the Peruvian team since he is in an area that we need and I am sure that he will add up.

2. Whether or not he starts will depend on Juan Reynoso, but from my humble point of view, from an outside perspective, far from the day-to-day training, I think Guerrero’s contribution would be 45 minutes, entering the second part or starting the game, taking into account that Lapadula is the starter. Now everything will depend on Juan Reynoso who could bet on one of those two friendly matches to start him. Let’s not forget that Juan Reynoso is evaluating, watching, that’s what these games are for.

Diego Reblagiati – Movistar Sports

1. I think so, it is a good time for Paolo Guerrero to return. He has been in Racing for a long time, regardless of the minutes he plays, he has been training in good shape, he looks better physically and football-wise. I think it’s the right time for him to return to the national team.

2. Regarding whether Paolo is a starter or not, the starter at the moment is clearly Gianluca Lapadula. He is 9 who is in better shape and Paolo, as in Racing, will have to wait for the moment that Reynoso can give him.

Diego Penny – Deportivo Garcilaso

1. I think it’s always a good time for a player of the category of Paolo Guerrero to be in the Peruvian team. He has recovered from a very important injury, which required him to rest for many months, but he is playing at a very high level in Racing; since he plays in the Copa Libertadores and his call-up is deserved and in Peru we cannot afford not to have the best we have and Juan Reynoso knows that and that is why the call-up.

2. That question is for the coach, in the end the important thing is that the team does well with Paolo Guerrero or Lapadula or with both, the important thing is that our team does well and we can in these friendly matches that are coming Juan can draw better conclusions and get to the Qualifiers in the best way, which I’m sure will be much tougher than the previous one.

Ricardo Montoya, columnist for DT

1. For me the best have to be there and Paolo is today one of the three best forwards to be called up for the national team.

2. Paolo has to understand that he arrives in that position: he is one of the three, he arrives to score. Contribute when it’s your turn.