López, Sonne, Reyna and the uncertain future: how Peru’s youngest players fared in the Copa América and why they still don’t have a place

Sonne, who knew he would be a starter two minutes before coming on to the field, rushes to take a throw-in. The ball finds ‘Tunche’ Rivera who, in his first minutes in the tournament, crosses into the heart of the area. Franco Zanelatto, another who was just used by Fossati in the third game of the Cup, beats Montiel in the jump and hits a header. The Dibu doesn’t get there. The ball hits the post and kisses the entire goal line. Lapadula doesn’t manage to finish at goal. That’s when all hope of not having the worst goal-scoring performance of Peru in the tournament of national teams ended.

In defense of the protagonists of this play it must be said that they did not lower their arms until the final whistle. And although they do not have great experience in the Bicolor, they are part of the group that will support the team in this and the next Qualifiers. Them and Marcos López, Piero Quispe, Joao Grimaldo and an uncertain future that squeezes our hearts.

This article will provide a statistical assessment of the youngest players in the squad: those who have played the most, those who are beginning to understand Fossati’s system and those who still do not have a place in the national team.

The urgent replacement

Diego Romero, 22 years old: He is not a starter even in the University. His call responds to the selection process that Fossati’s technical team wants for him. This year he left good impressions in the Under 23 Olympic Pre-Olympic and earned a spot on the list. In recent weeks he has appeared in Argentine teams. However, in the ‘U’ they do not want to let him go to any national or foreign club. The goal is safe with Gallese, and Romero could be a good replacement in the future.

Oliver Sonne, 23 years old: Shortly after starting Peru-Argentina, Andy Polo stretched in the warm-up, according to a report from Fernanda Huapaya, special envoy of El Comercio. The CT of Peru informed Oliver that he would start against the world champion and in the match with the greatest obligation to win in this Copa América. If there are challenges that measure the temperament of footballers, this was one of them. Sonne, who had added 6 minutes against Chile and remained on the bench against Canada, had to face Exequiel Palacios and Alejandro Garnacho, two players fighting to be a starter in Scaloni’s Albiceleste. That is why the demand was very high. Although the winger position is not his specialty, SofaScore rates him with 6.7 points. He won half of his duels (2 of 4), had two clearances, two interceptions and 8 turnovers. 89% passing accuracy (16 of 18) is his best trait.

Marcos López, 24 years old: He is the one who played the most of the group of young players on Fossati’s list: 222 minutes in total (55′ against Chile, 90′ against Canada and 77′ against Argentina). For ‘Nonno’ he was not a starter at the beginning of the Copa América. Only Luis Advíncula’s injury forced Fossati to use him for the rest of the tournament. The bad news is that he did not have a natural substitute during the Copa América. He was the substitute. On the other hand, the addition of minutes helped him improve. Against Argentina, Sofascore named him the best player on the Peruvian team with 7.2 points. Three completed crosses out of six attempts, one shot on goal, one dribble and two duels won.

Jesús Castillo, 23 years old: He only played 45 minutes in the Copa America and entered the position that Wilder Cartagena defended tooth and nail. His lack of experience in Portugal does not generate expectations. Against Argentina he only touched the ball 24 times in a key position in midfield. On top of that, he had the misfortune of committing the penalty that Paredes later missed for the Argentines.

Piero Quispe, 22 years old: The trust and support that Fossati gave him before the tournament began to fade. He played 71 minutes against Chile, added 62 minutes against Canada and spent 90 minutes on the bench against Argentina. Being a featherweight in high competition separated him from the team. Edison Flores played in the interior position on the left yesterday. And in three months, when the Qualifiers return, a novel will be created about his presence or not in Peru’s starting team.

Joao Grimaldo, 21 years old: Social media is on fire, the streets are booing, the hallways are buzzing about his scant 19 minutes. 19 minutes in a single game! They were against Chile and he didn’t appear again. Cueva played 24 minutes in two games. News that relates him to English football is the only thing Grimaldo has generated in these days of the Copa América. Whether in Cristal or abroad, his place in the national team will demand the highest performance from him. It is clear that the 3-5-2 system is above him. As a left midfielder he is another lightweight. He is a natural winger, but he is no match for López or Advíncula, to name those who played as left wingers in the Copa América.

Bryan Reyna, 25 years old: Due to a muscle contracture, he was not in the friendlies against Paraguay (0-0) and El Salvador (1-0) or in the debut against Chile. His 28 minutes against Canada were not dazzling, but Fossati still put him in the starting lineup against Argentina. He played 63′ and faced Montiel in a one-on-one. Sofascore rates him with 6.0 points, the lowest in Peru last night. He had eight ground duels and only won once. He touched the ball 17 times without any key passes or shots on goal. He only made one cross and lost the ball 10 times.

Franco Zanelatto, 24 years old: He entered for Reyna to play the only 27 minutes in the Copa América. You can’t argue with his attitude. While on the court, he almost scored with a header and made a key pass, as well as an assist, according to SofaScore.