André Carrillo: the indisputable evolution of one of the three most winning Peruvian footballers in history

In just nine years, André Carrillo He went from being “a questioned promise” to becoming the third Peruvian footballer with the most international titles won in all of history. The Asian Champions League, won yesterday by Al Hilal of Arabia, by defeating Pohang Steelers of South Korea 2-0, also adds to Carrillo’s showcase. With 11 titles outside of Peru, the extreme of the selection equals Juan Joya Cordero (11 titles) and is only surpassed by Jefferson Farfán (12) and Claudio Pizarro (19). Of course, before so many Olympic rounds, there were several times that Carrillo was tempted not to believe. Like on the night of June 3, 2012.

The 23rd minute of a qualifying match between Peru and Colombia was played at the National Stadium in Lima. For that match, the bicolor arrived with many casualties and the technician, Sergio MarkarianHe decided to give an opportunity to one of the strongest promises, at that time, in Peruvian football: Andre Carrillo. The former attacker of Lima Alliance and Benfica received a precise pass from Carlos Lobatón and came face to face with goalkeeper Ospina. In the attempt to make the last feint, André lost the ball until he fell to the ground. It took him more than a minute to get to his feet. He looked injured, however, it wasn’t his ankles that hurt. His soul ached.

He made the first World Cup goal after 36 years (to Australia in Russia 2018), he scored the first three goals for Peru in these Playoffs and gave assistance to Lapadula, for the victory in Venezuela that we will celebrate until after the New Year.

In this final of the Asian Champions League he could not play due to the quota of foreigners (only a maximum of three players not born in Asia can play the matches for each team), but the Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim has him for him. Club World Cup next year in the United Arab Emirates. It will be Carrillo’s second time in this important competition.

Unanimous vote

In just nine years, the ‘Culebra’ went from criticism to practically a unanimous vote of consent. “With André’s ability, I would be playing for Real Madrid”, he told us two years ago Juan Carlos Oblitas. “For me, Carrillo is the best player that Peru has, he plays very well, he knows how to get rid of his rival,” he declared for this newspaper, nothing more and nothing less than Ricardo Bochini.

Today it is indisputable, so it sounds strange to mention the times that Carrillo doubted. When he was in the youth team of Esther Grande de Bentín, he was expelled from the team by Wilmar Valencia for wanting to make “huachas” in a tactical exercise. In 2009, near his debut with Alianza Lima, André decided to study hotel management because he thought “that he could not reach the First Division. “Then I signed my professional contract and quit. I didn’t really love it. I did it in case I did not do well in football, so that I could develop in another way “, the forward reminded the magazine Somos.

A lumbar injury and his trip to Lima, to defend the national team, delayed him in this final stretch of Al Hilal in the Asian Champions League. Carrillo does not need the charisma of a field captain to demonstrate his sense of belonging in the national team. The last time we spoke with him, he explained to us how he managed to get to the World Cup in Russia in good physical condition. Although he played little at Watford, he accepted a visit from a national team coach and hired a nutritionist.

“We worked very hard for two to three weeks before the World Cup. Then I went to Spain, and continued with the preparation. The technical command of the team helped me to know myself better and to realize several factors to improve “André told us.

Nine years have passed since some “baptized” André Carrillo as a “no goal” attacker. That failed projection today has crashed into the wall of a happy reality. Carrillo, from the Russia World Cup 2018, is the attacker, the most influential of the Peruvian team. With goal and assists.

“Before I think I had some bad luck in front of the goal. These are stages that are passing, now the goal is opening for me, I have to take advantage of that and believe in myself, in my long-distance shot and stay close to the goal “he said three years ago. What was new in 2018, today is an inevitable custom.

His arrival at Al Hilal in 2018 was controversial, many of us wanted to see him in a top league in Europe, but Carrillo was looking for two main goals: tranquility for his family life and winning everything he can. Time has begun to prove him right. Saudi Arabia has the almost guaranteed ticket to Qatar 2022. Hopefully André Carrillo can say the same in four months.