Carlos Zambrano and a rematch in the Playoffs: celebrate again against rivals he only won once

A “cursed” rival, a city that left him without oxygen and a stadium in which he only reaped defeats. That is the panorama that awaits you Carlos Zambrano, who returned to the peruvian team after a year and is emerging as one of the starters in the central rear to face the triple date of the Qualifying Qatar 2022 in October. Chile in Lima (7/10), Bolivia in La Paz (10/10) and Argentina in Buenos Aires (14/10), the next opponents of the Bicolor, do not bring fond memories to the ‘León’. In fact, before them he could only celebrate once and was defeated six times.

“We want to have all the players, regardless of quantity. To be able to choose in the best way because we have eight reprimands plus one suspended. That generates that we seek to have all the players “, explained the coach Ricardo Gareca about the return of Zambrano, Pedro Aquino, Jefferson Farfán, Santiago Ormeño and Yordy Reyna himself. With Peru in seventh place, five points from the playoff zone for the next World Cup, the ‘Tigre’ needs everyone. The World Cup players and the new ones.

. After saving himself from being sent off for an elbow to Miguel Almirón in the 2-2 game against Paraguay, he saw the red card during the 4-2 loss to Brazil in Lima. The match went 3-2 in Scratch’s favor when the defender again misused his elbow. This time the victim was Richarlison.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee suspended the central for three dates, but far from the decision, Gareca did not hesitate to show his annoyance at the actions of his pupil. “That does worry me, they are things that are avoidable and that is something that we need to solve. At this level of selection, having one less man is complicated”, indicated the DT.

. Due to technical decision or physical problems. However, this Sunday he returned to play with the Xeneize shirt after eight games, he entered for the Colombian Edwin Cardona at 21 minutes to fill the void left by Marcos Rojo, who was expelled. The Peruvian scored a goal in the last minute, but could not avoid the 2-1 fall against River Plate in the Argentine Superclásico.

Of course, he was praised by the idol Xeneize and vice president of the Rivera institution, Juan Román Riquelme. “Yesterday, after the expulsion, Sebastián’s (Battaglia) decision was to remove him. He had to put a center back and put Carlos (Zambrano) who always plays he does it wonderfully, we have four very good centrals “he declared.

Chile and the curse of the cards

Since it debuted, back in 2008, Carlos Zambrano faced Chile five times. The general balance is not at all favorable: four defeats and one victory. What’s more, .

The first Peru vs. chili that the central lived was in the duel for Playoffs disputed in the Monumental de Ate. The then Blanquirroja coach, José del Solar, lined up Leao Butrón in the goal; Amilton Prado, Alberto Rodríguez, Zambrano and Juan Vargas in defense; Nolberto Solano, Miguel Torres, Rainer Torres and Luis Ramírez at the wheel; and Daniel Chávez and Johan Fano as forwards.

Alexis Sánchez and Humberto Suazo quickly overtook the southerners. Fano discounted but all the effort collapsed due to the expulsion of ‘Loco’ Vargas. Matías Fernández made it 3-1 final and gave the ‘Roja’ victory over Peru in Lima after 24 years.

After falling in a friendly in 2014 in Valparaíso (3-0, Rinaldo Cruzado saw the red),. The match ended 2-1 in favor of the locals with a controversial refereeing and the defender missed the bronze medal match against Paraguay. Meanwhile, the Chilean team won the final of the tournament.

“A long time ago I did not have such a hard night (…) first of all I want to apologize to the fans for the mistake I made, saying or evaluating the referee’s work today is too much, I was wrong and period and here I am to accept it”he wrote on his Facebook account

. “With strength and temperament, he was impassable every time Vargas wanted to face him. He rejected all the balls that reached the area “, was the analysis of UnoxUno of El Comercio, rating the central with eight points.

This Thursday, at the Nacional de Lima, the stadium where he faced Chile Only once in 2015 (fall 4-3 by qualifying with Christian Cueva being expelled), Carlos goes in search of his second win against the southern cast with the shadow that, if he plays and if he gets a yellow card, he could be suspended for the next meeting.

La Paz, a city that takes away oxygen

Visiting Bolivia in La Paz is a martyrdom for any South American team. At more than 3,500 meters high, the highland team has known how to make Hernando Siles his fort. Carlos Zambrano He also suffered in his own flesh what it is to play 90 minutes with less oxygen than normal.

In October 2008, months after his official debut with the peruvian team, José del Solar chose ‘León’, then a Schalke 04 player, as a starter in the rear accompanying Walter Vílchez, but neither could prevent Joaquín Botero (2) and Ronald García from scoring in Butrón’s goal.

Since then Zambrano has not played in La Paz again. On this triple date, starting the actions against Chile and ending the game without receiving cards, he could have his revenge in the Bolivian city.

El Monumental de River, a stadium that brings back bad memories

Carlos Zambrano He only stepped on the Monumental twice. The first with the shirt of the peruvian team and the second defending the colors of Boca Juniors. In none could he celebrate. And both matches were recorded in the history of South American football because of the context in which they were lived.

On Saturday October 10, 2009, Diego Armando Maradona’s Argentina needed a win to continue with chances of going to the 2010 World Cup against a Peruvian team that had already said goodbye to South Africa. . Suddenly the torrential rain that fell in Buenos Aires conspired with Hernán Rengifo’s goal at 90 ‘to extinguish the illusions of the local fans.

Everything was silence in the Monumental when at 92 ′, with a mist that covered the entire field, Martín Palermo, the most beloved ‘Loco’ in Argentina, found a ball in the Peruvian area and put the final 2-1. Diego Armando Maradona he celebrated by diving into the almost flooded grass of the stadium. An iconic image and so far remembered.

It took twelve years for Zambrano set foot on the Monumental again. This time with the Boca Juniors shirt in the first superclassic with people since the coronavirus pandemic began. The ‘León’ entered in the first half after the expulsion of his teammate Marcos Rojos, he scored a goal, but could not avoid a 2-1 defeat against River Plate.

The memories that accompany the ‘León’ against the three next rivals of the Peruvian team in the Qualifiers for Qatar 2022 are not good. But this could be the opportunity to reverse everything and celebrate.