Press article:

Peru on the way up - 26/08/2003

Peru can look forward with confidence to a World Cup qualifying campaign which could take them to their first finals since 1982. A 3-1 win over Mexico was the outstanding performance in a busy week of friendly internationals involving South American sides. The last 20 years have been very disappointing for Peru, who in the 1970s seemed poised to establish itself as South America's third force.

Peru exploded onto the global scene in the 1970 World Cup, playing some wonderfully enterprising football on their way to a quarter-finals defeat at the hands of Brazil. Back then, Peru's attack was spearheaded by attacking midfielder Teofilo Cubillas, a dead ringer for Mohammed Ali who carried a knockout punch with his shooting prowess as Scotland manager Allie McLeod would testify. But once Cubillas and his generation had faded, so did Peru. They came close to qualifying for the 1986 World Cup, and only goal difference kept them out of France 98. Peruvian football had lost momentum, as the likes of Colombia, Paraguay and even Ecuador beat them to the qualifying slots. As well as below-par performances from the national team, Peru's clubs have a dismal recent record in the Copa Libertadores, South America's Champions League.

Peru were at their peak when Cubillas was in his prime More should surely be expected from a country with a population of over 26 million, the fourth-largest in the continent. Paulo Autori would certainly agree. The Brazilian, appointed as coach of the Peruvian national team at the start of the year, is on a mission to make his men more competitive. Autori has made Peru much harder to play against, working extensively at boosting players' self-esteem and increasing fitness levels. Newly armed with mental and physical strength, Peru are set up to play a pressing game, denying the opposition space to construct their attacks. Against Mexico it all came together. For the first time Autori had all his top players at his disposal, including Newcastle's Nolberto Solano, playing his first game for his country in almost two years. Boosted by the extra quality of his players, Autori's strategy paid off, and Mexico sunk to a defeat that they certainly were not expecting. Peru's victory came at a price of making his side too competitive and two men were sent off, including star striker Claudio Pizarro of Bayern Munich. To circumvent the possibility that Pizaroo might have to serve an automatic one match suspension, Peru have hurriedly fixed up a friendly against Guatemala. Pizarro will sit that game out, leaving him free to spearhead Peru's attack in the opening round of World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay on 6 September.

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