Peru have potential – Gareca hopeful despite World Cup exit

Peru have the potential to become a great team in the coming years, despite their early World Cup exit, according to coach Ricardo Gareca.

A reported 40,000 Peruvian fans travelled to Russia for this year’s tournament – celebrating their first World Cup appearance since 1982 – but their team’s elimination was confirmed following a 1-0 defeat to France on Thursday.

Christian Cueva’s dreadful penalty miss in Peru’s opening game defeat to Denmark has been the closest the South Americans have come to scoring so far, but Gareca, whose side face Australia in their final Group D game, is buoyant about the future.

“We were expecting a different result. I’m pleased with what the team did. We gave it our all, we have to do our best for all the fans that came,” Gareca said.

“I think that Peru is now embarking on a new phase. We’ve lots of support at home. Now people realise Peru’s potential.

“We’ve brought young players into the side and they now understand what it means to play in a World Cup.

“This whole process was a great learning experience after many years of hard work. It implies learning and bodes a bright future.

“If we receive the support that we need to get, we’re talking about a team that can improve greatly in future years.

“We came to this match with different expectations, but I’ve nothing to hold against my players. We gave a perfectly good account of our country.”

Peru’s build up to the World Cup was somewhat overshadowed by uncertainty over Paolo Guerrero’s involvement, with their captain only cleared to play at the end of May following a suspension for testing positive for cocaine.

Guerrero’s case was helped by the captains of France, Australia and Denmark, who all sent letters of support asking for the suspension to be lifted, but Gareca has been left to rue the striker’s absence in the matches leading up to the tournament.

“Paolo did what he could. We’re talking about a national icon,” Gareca continued.

“He did the best he could after the eight-month ban and you have to bear in mind that hiatus wore him down.

“If he had played with us earlier, he’d have come in in a better condition. He did all he could on the pitch. I hope that situation is resolved as quickly as possible. We all know it was an accident. I wish him all the best.”