A controversial farewell and without authorization from the coach: the untold story of Peru’s last friendly against a team with foreigners

The news came as a surprise, even to historians and journalists of good memory. The peruvian team will face this Wednesday in La Videna de San Luis a combined made up of foreign footballers from League 1. An order for Ricardo Gareca which joins the friendlies against Panama (01/16) and Jamaica (01/20) with a view to the key duels against Colombia (01/28) and Ecuador (02/01) for the Qualifiers heading to Qatar 2022. An unusual encounter, but not unprecedented. Something similar also happened 31 years ago, although the context was totally different.

The Red-White has no margin for error on this last stretch on the way to the next world. Located in fifth place – repechage area – with 17 points, at the end of the month he will visit Colombia (4th with the same number of units, but with better goal difference) and then they will receive Ecuador (3rd with 23 pts. ). Two direct rivals who will also seek the three points. For this reason, the ‘Tigre’ needs to film the local tournament summoned and, incidentally, observe them closely.

Édgar Benítez, Pablo Míguez and Arley Rodríguez (Alianza Lima); Emiliano Ciucci and Roberto Ovelar (Deportivo Municipal); Christian Limousin and José Ramírez (Academia Cantolao); Jairo Vélez, Leandro Fleitas and Arquímedes Figuera (Club UCV); Edy Renteria (Sport Boys); Kevin Serna (ADT); Jimmy Valoyes and Víctor Perlaza (Sport Huancayo); Donald Millán and Gaspar Gentile (UTC)For now, they are the ones who will make up the team of foreigners who will be led by the Alliance coach Carlos Bustos. Although there could be last minute changes.

A particular friendly in the Gareca era. It never happened. But the situation warrants it. A double date is coming that will catch several regulars summoned without filming. An encounter that brings back the memory of that preparation of the Red-White for the 1991 America Cup which began with a tour in the interior of the country and ended with a friendly against a team of local soccer players, between Peruvians and foreigners, which was not approved by the national team coach himself, Miguel Company. Here we tell you the incredible story.

A tour that got dirty

In the early 1990s, Peruvian football – and even more so the national team – still felt the ravages of the 1987 tragedy at Ventanilla. The fall of Fokker with the Alianza Lima team had taken away great players like ‘Caíco’ Gonzáles, Luis ‘Potrillo’ Escobar, among others. La Blanquirroja had just scored zero points in the Italy 90 World Cup Qualifiers. For this reason,

“I spoke with all the club presidents and told them that I wanted to see players from the interior, to expand our vision a little more because at that time we had a great shortage of players due to the tragedy of ’87.”, the technician tells us.

On May 19, at the Mansiche de Trujillo, Peru he faced a team from Trujillo led by the great Juan Joya Cordero, idol of Peñarol from Uruguay in the sixties and who at that time was training Morba FBC de La Esperanza. “That game was excellent. They were very formal. We did not find any player to bring to the national team, but the whole organization was good “recalls Company.

The great novelties in the Bicolor were due to the presence of goalkeeper Diosdado Palma, defender Álvaro Barco and ‘León’ Martín Rodríguez in the midfield, as well as the return of Eugenio ‘Chispeao’ La Rosa in attack. The rest of the team was made up of players who had been part of the process led by Brazilian Pepe in 1989. The match ended with a 3-2 victory for the red and white due to goals from Percy Olivares, Roberto Martínez and ‘Venado’ Aguirre.

Four days later, the team had to face a combination of players from Alianza Atlético and Atlético Grau in the Campeones del 36 de Sullana. However, this did not happen. , relates the ex-coach.

Rubén Marruffo, a long-standing Peruvian journalist, recalls that alleged incident between Miguel Company and northern fans. “It was a mistake on our part. We were carried away by a rumor of people saying that they had stoned the team’s bus. Obviously he was a mea culpa, but after that game a tense atmosphere was created between the coach and the press. In fact, he attacked colleague Jorge Egoavil, at that time a journalist for ‘La República’ “.

The match ended tied without goals, although it served for the DT to take note of a footballer who seemed interesting to him: Jorge Ágapo Gonzáles. The fierce defender joined the group to face and beat Melgar 4-1 to close the team’s mini-tour. “The objective was not achieved. Melgar did the same as those from Sullana “, the Company complains.

Before packing suitcases for the trip to Chile for the Copa América, the team said goodbye to its people with a friendly match against a team made up of local players between Peruvians and foreigners. Although with the particularity that the Miguel Company himself had not accepted.

The match

On Sunday June 30, 1991 at the National Stadium, before 16,457 spectators, according to the newspapers of the time, the Peruvian team closed its preparation to face the Copa América that was held in four Chilean cities between July 6 and 21 .

“There were not many expectations in the team. We came from the ’89 Qualifiers in which we scored zero points and Miguel Company had left out players like Julio César Uribe, Franco Navarro, Leo Rojas. He put together a fairly young team. What’s more, the breaking point in the way he worked is the calling of Flavio Maestri, who did not even reach 20 games in the first division “recalls Marruffo.

, Company account. The coach’s decision did not go down well with the public, much less the press.

“The line-up that Company put up was not taken well because the game was sold as a farewell to the national team, so the fan wanted to see the team that was going to make its debut in the Cup, but the coach practically put substitutes”, says the press man.

The rival team of the selection was made up of the best of the medium such as Jacinto rodriguez, Brothers Jose and Jorge Soto, Gustavo Cílvhez, Carlos Castagneto, Pedro Novella, Marquinho, Horacio Baldessari, Julinho, among others.

“It was a great team”, says Marquinho, a former Brazilian footballer who broke it in Peruvian football in the 90s with Sport Boys, Alianza Lima and Sporting Cristal, and who is now the host of “Official Free Shooting Channel” which has been nominated as the best digital sports program in the Lights 2021 Awards from El Comercio.

“That year the local championship was very disputed. The teams were very strong in relation to the foreigners who arrived. We were a very good sparring partner for them. We try to collaborate. I remember we did not train, we went head-to-head to play “, Add.

The match ended tied at two goals. The Paraguayan Gilberto Ortega (against) and Jorge Cordero they scored the goals for the Bicolor. The ‘Pepa’ Baldessari (Argentine from Sporting Cristal) and the Brazilian Lula Defensor Lima scored for rivals who had dressed in yellow. This is how everyone’s team said goodbye to face a Copa América that many want to forget.

This is how it was for us in the Copa América

The Peruvian team of Miguel Company He made his debut in the Copa América on July 6, 1991 at the National Stadium in Santiago de Chile. The 1-0 loss to Paraguay marked the start of a bad tournament, both on and off the pitch.

For the match against the Guarani, Company did not line up Andrés Gonzáles, who had been breaking it at University. In his place he put Jorge Hirano. The decision did not go down well for ‘Balán’ and he made it known to the coach that he planned to put him against Chile on the second date, but due to the complaint he acted radically and removed him from the tournament and made him return to Lima. Two days later, in Concepción, everyone’s team lost 4-2 to the locals. A “Classic of the Pacific” that was recorded by what happened with the young Flavio Maestri. The 18-year-old ‘Tank’ scored his first goal with the Bicolor, but minutes later he suffered a fractured tibia and fibula after colliding with a rival defender. On the third date, Blanquirroja had its first victory (5-1 to Venezuela with goals from La Rosa (2), Cavallo against, Chemo del Solar and Hirano). But the participation was closed with a defeat against Argentina. Two points in four games and back home.

They well say that the results in the field also reflect the mismanagement of the leadership. And that happened in Chile. , says Miguel Company.

“In the entire Copa América, no leader, neither from the Peruvian Football Federation nor from the Commission, approached the concentration of the Peruvian team. They did not give us their support, on the contrary, they always put obstacles to the team “, Add.

Peru closed its participation with two points – at that time the victories were worth two points -, nine goals for and nine against. Eliminated in the first round in a tournament that had as champion the Argentine team of ‘Coco’ Basile that did not have Diego Armando Maradona, suspended for doping.