The ‘historic World Cup players’ and their fight to get into the 3-5-2: How would Tapia, Yotún and Carrillo fit into Fossati’s eleven?

“Advíncula must be worried because it is the first time in many years that he could lose his position,” comments Marco Quilca while we see how Andy Polo took over the right wing in the duel against Denmark.

Although the coaches will say that there are no starters on their team, there are ‘undisputed’ players on each team. “You have to have things clear (use of the system) and in June those who return (those not called up due to injury) return with the idea of ​​continuing to grow,” said Jorge Fossati in the preview of the duel against the Dominican Republic.

He tried, a lot. 27 of the 29 called up played. The two who did not have action were the goalkeepers Renato Solis and Diego Romero. Then everyone had minutes in these friendlies where the player was sought to assimilate the 3-5-2.

“Every player is going to have to adapt to the coach’s proposal, and quickly,” Fernando Egusquiza, a journalist who was at the Monumental stadium in the last game against the Dominican Republic, tells us.

Renato Tapia

If he is called to be the captain, it is clear that his place in the eleven is not in dispute. He is one of the team’s figures and is one of the few who plays in one of the major leagues – in Celta de España – and he knows how to function in any location, as he has already demonstrated.

In the Bicolor he has played as a midfielder and as a center back. When Juan Reynoso pushed him back, he more than complied and even tried him as a libero, in that friendly against Germany in which he was the only notable thing in that defense. His good ball handling (he has a 76% passing effectiveness rate at Celta) allows us to think that he is that player who is the team’s starting point: in principle as a midfielder or even as a libero.

However, if we look at his heat map, he moves much more in the midfield, with a lot of dropback towards the defensive line to cover the spaces. And that’s where Fossati sees it. “For him Tapia is the anchor midfielder, he sees it there,” Fernando Egusquiza tells us as a summary of a conversation he had with the coach.

Yoshimar Yotún

It is the pass that the team has, that different pass, the risky pass. At least that’s how he plays in the Bicolor. In Cristal lately he plays a little more forward and perhaps it is the new place in which he will be seen in charge of Fossati.

If we think about the 3-5-2 seen in Matute against Nicaragua, the one that worked best, we can see that Yoshi can occupy the interior position on the left that Grimaldo occupied, in order to free up Joao as a left back, since he left many doubts whether with Trauco or with López.

The left winger is the position where we are limping at the moment, which is why Fossati tried Oliver Sonne in that spot even though he is right-footed.

However, there would be a fight for position between Yotún and Piero Quispe, perhaps the most vertical player we have starting from that half of the field. Therefore, it would not be strange if Yoshimar could play with a ‘changed foot’, on the right, or if Tapia becomes the libero, become the anchor of the midfielder.

Andre Carrillo

If the left side of Peru seemed to be the one in touch, the right zone was always full speed with Luis Advíncula and André Carrillo. Now, neither of them seems to have a place earned, first due to the presence of Andy Polo in that place, and then because more than speed is needed for Fossati’s 3-5-2.

It was no surprise to see André Carrillo as a midfielder in Al-Hilal last season. He even played in the club World Cup in that position. Now, in Al Qasiadh of the Second Saudi Arabia, he does not have much activity in 2024 due to injuries – last Friday he returned to training – and although no one doubts his talent, at 32 years old he is no longer the figure in the that the Bicolor can settle.

In Carrillo’s last matches with the national team (Paraguay, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Venezuela) it was clear that physically it is more difficult for him to be that explosive player and he barely has an average of 22% of completed goals and only 26% of won duels. . We should not rule him out, but he must reinvent himself to have a chance.

And they are just three names of players who took us to Russia 2018 but now each one lives a different reality. Tapia at Celta, whose contract ends in June, Yotún returned to League 1 and Carrillo in the Second League of Saudi Arabia. They must integrate while being aware that this time they have not won the position.

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