Andrés Mendoza on Peru vs Chile: “Farfán, 20 or 30 minutes, always adds quality” | INTERVIEW

Through the air, with a head butt, Andrés Mendoza marked the Chilean team. He embraced all of Peru through a triumph in the pacific classic, in the old National Stadium, in Lima, 3-1, for the Qualifiers to World Cup Korea & Japan 2002. The ’18’ of the ‘team of all’ scored the second, on the night they also scored Flavio Maestri and Claudio pizarro.

“I celebrated it for Magaly (Medina), it came out nice “, he remembered between laughs. In Santiago, in the ‘Julio Martínez Prádanos’, he deluded all Peruvians with the partial draw with a left foot, but it was blurred with the 2-1 defeat, for the Qualifiers at Germany World Cup 2006. “The cross shot goal, a pity that it was not won, but one felt the shirt, more against Chile, in a classic. We all wanted to play, nobody wanted to be on the bench “he commented.

His goals remained in history, in statistics, it is different, but he admits that, the games against ‘The Red’, they will always be special. “It makes me want to play again, but it’s not my time anymore. Of course, I am sure they will win “, is the faith of the ‘Cristo Moreno’, what hope to the Chincha and who hopes that Jefferson Farfan enter the second stage of the decisive duel against the Chileans.

– Is there a special preparation when playing the classic of the Pacific?

The two are going to go out and kill, but we are at home, and we have to win. They are the games where you show what you know, your style of play, mischief. The players who are here, have already been through that, have played several times with Chile, every game is different, but Peru has something to win with, they depend on themselves.

—Why did you dedicate your goal against Chile, in the 2002 Korea-Japan Qualifiers, to Magaly Medina?

When I came to Lima I was on vacation, I was still not going to train with the Videna national team, I arrived about two to three days before the call, I was on the beach with my businessman (José Moreno), but Magaly said he was in other things, drinking, but in the end I showed the field, I scored the goal against Chile and I celebrated it to her. When he came to the national team, he always dropped everything, so he stayed there.

“Did you have any cabal before you set foot on the field?”

I went out to the field wanting to do things well. They put a rare coin on my foot, I had it on the sole of my left foot, I came out well stacked, concentrated, with joy. Let the ball run, take care of it, because it always has to go to the goal.

“How did the coin on the sole of the foot come about?”

For my mom, when she played at Sporting Cristal. It is a rare coin, it is not silver, nor can it be said that it is. He always scored goals. I took her to Europe (laughs). I still have it.

—In offense, you had as your teammates such as Paolo Guerrero and Jefferson Farfán, champion of the national team today …

Yes, they good guys. They began to grow, then in Europe, it was already different. They achieved a lot, with their clubs, the national team.

—Ricardo Gareca will have the last word, but many are excited about a Lapadula-Guerrero duo, although the “Tigre” is not about changing the game system …

They are both with a good attitude. Lapadula has been scoring goals in the Second in Italy, Paolo is playing little by little at his club. Now, I don’t think Professor Gareca will change his style of play, but if he has to play with both of them, it will be his decision. The padula also moves outside the area, looking for spaces.

—Farfán is also important because of his hierarchy in the red-white …

Farfán, 20 or 30 minutes, always adds quality. Leave everything for the selection. Physically he is better. He scores goals when he enters with his club. Hopefully it’s okay.

—André Carrillo will be a great loss against Chile …

On the outside it is spectacular, rivals are easily taken out. There is no other like him, who faces speed, looks for space, I hope he recovers and plays against Bolivia. I do not know how he will feel against Chile, there are doctors, out there they can recover it quickly.

“How should they play him?”

Peru has good foot players. You have to attack, play fast, they complicate it there. You have to have the ball, that Chile suffers, suffers. You have to be well focused, it is a decisive match.

—Chile enters the game with four casualties: Vidal, Vargas, Mena and Sierralta. There is no better time than now to win in Lima …

They are going to demand them the same, as happened with Venezuela. So, they should not enter confidently, or give anything away. Chile is Chile, it has players who play well. It has always been difficult for us to score as many goals as possible, quickly.

—As much as it is only 20% of fans, encouragement will be important at the National Stadium …

Yes, and there are no blunders, because those who will be on the field will be Peruvians, who will do things for the better. The fans who are going to cheer, if things don’t go well, don’t stop cheering. People cheer for their team to be stronger, hopefully they will encourage, from the warm-up, so that the players are well.

—You are following Bruges, your former team, in the Champions League …

Yes, it has improved a lot. He has very good players, who are in the Belgian national team. They have to take advantage to pass the phase, they have always stayed in UEFA, now they have the opportunity. The coach, Philippe Clement, has played with me, so he is doing well. It is on another level, I always see it, and I continue on its social networks.

—Gustavo Dulanto, made history with the Sheriff by beating Madrid, at the Bernabéu, in the Champions League …

He’s doing well, at his club, in the Champions League, it’s another level. He’s showing that he can keep playing well. He has beaten Madrid. Let’s hope he continues like this, and has the opportunity to play for the national team, despite the fact that there are quite a few centrals in the national team. Everyone sees it in the Champions League. Hopefully he wins at the San Siro against Inter Milan, if he beat Madrid, hopefully it will be something positive for him.