Peruvian national team: Juan Carlos Oblitas spoke about the new Christian Cueva, the nose of Gianluca Lapadula and Alex Valera

The South American Qualifiers are nearing their end and the Peruvian national team remains intact with the chances of reaching the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualification. However, for this to happen he must win the two remaining matches against Uruguay in Montevideo and Paraguay in Lima. He has players to do it, especially in the offensive zone. In fact, Juan Carlos Oblitas referred to three elements such as Christian Cueva, Gianluca Lapadula and Alex Valera.

He first spoke of the Al-Fateh flyer, who since leaving for Saudi Arabia, has had a radical change in his lifestyle, which has led him to be a decisive player with greater physical rest to contribute to the 'bicolor'. “There are people who need that spirituality to realize some things. And I'm very pleased. He has realized that if he is guided, as the years go by, with that tonic of preparation, it would have no place. And he just figured it out. He now has special training, in addition to the one he is given at his club and arrives here in impeccable conditions,” commented the current sports director of the FPF in an interview for 'WhatsFA' of 'Football in America'.

In addition, for the 'Ciego' it is not a minor detail than the fact that he has now stopped calling him 'Cuevita', influenced his growth. “So many times that I have caught his attention and was the first one to tell him 'from now on I stop calling you 'Cuevita' because that hurts you”. When you start calling a person diminutive, the years go by and continue with that diminutive, it's over, something is wrong. And I told him that “from now on I'm going to call you Christian or Cueva, not 'Cuevita'”, he added.

GIANLUCA LAPADULA

On the other hand, Oblitas also had words towards Gianluca Lapadula and the nose injury that deprived him of being present in the last match against Ecuador in Lima. “His way of playing. He is vehement, shocador. He is the typical player that a defender does not want to have him in front of him. If I were central I would say: “This guy again, I don't want to put up with it!” . He's already figured it out. If he had a blow (he points out the cheek) he felt that everything was moving. When I talked to him in the dressing room, he explained to me and told me that he realized and that it was impossible (playing against Ecuador). He's going to get to these matches well and that's it,” he said.

ALEX VALERA'S OPTION

On the other hand, one of the new appearances that the 'white-roja' has had was Alex Valera. And it is that although he was called up for the 2021 Copa America, it was in the last few months that his status as striker and wrestler was brought out. “Valera's thing has been dropped from the sky. We have to hope that Paolo and Jefferson will recover. We don't know exactly what conditions they are in and at the moment the top referents are Gianluca Lapadula and Alex Valera,” he said.

MOMENT IN THE PLAYOFFS

The fact that those led by Ricardo Gareca are in fifth place with 21 points and with two dates left before the qualifying rounds, gives it a certain advantage over other teams such as Chile or Colombia, which depend on other results to qualify for the World Cup. “We were thinking of reaching this stage depending on us. And that's the truth, we depend on us. If we get results according to what we have been playing these last few dates, we will qualify. When we get out of here, we have to keep that up. Football has something that ties people together. Everyone focuses on a common good, which is the victory of the national team”, he concluded.

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