The former Peruvian soccer player Oswaldo Cachito Ramírez, executioner of Argentina in 1969 with his two goals in the Bombonera, assured this Thursday in an interview with Eph that the Albiceleste «is afraid» of staying out of a World Cup again when in October it plays again against Peru on the same stage.
Ramírez will travel with the Peruvian team to Buenos Aires, and stated that he hopes to serve as an amulet to get a positive result that will allow the Blanquirroja to qualify for a World Cup again after 35 years, after his last participation in Spain 1982.
«It will undoubtedly be a very difficult match. The two teams have 24 points. The great advantage is that Peru is working very well as a team, unlike Argentina, despite the fact that they have great individuals,» said Ramírez.
The 70-year-old former player explained that it will be key for the Peruvian team to take advantage, as he did twice 48 years ago, in the 2-2 that left Argentina out of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
Regarding the decision of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) to play the game in the Bombonera, instead of doing it in the Monumental de Buenos Aires, where the Abiceleste usually play their home games, Ramírez commented that the venue for the match «is the least».
«There are eleven against eleven who have to play. It doesn’t matter to me, but what seems strange to me is that FIFA allowed them to change the stadium when the Bombonera was not one of the three scenarios that they had registered before starting the Qualifiers,» he said.
The former striker considered that FIFA «immediately» accepted the AFA’s request because it has Diego Armando Maradona as its ambassador.
From his experience on the Boca Juniors pitch, Ramírez recalled the 1969 match that went very well for Peru because they qualified for the 70 World Cup in Mexico and, although it ended in a two-goal draw, «it could have ended in a landslide» away.
«If it hadn’t been for Agustín Mario Cejas, we would have scored goals in that game, because the goalkeeper saved up to five scoring opportunities,» recalled Cachito.
The former player of the University of Sports said that the current Peruvian team, and especially its captain, Paolo Guerrero, will ask him «simply and simply to play as he is doing, with the same attitude as in the last three games», when they won to Uruguay (2-1), Bolivia (2-1) and Ecuador (1-2).
«Five dates ago I thought that Peru could not qualify, but I saw that they were putting together a good team for the next World Cup. However, the possibility of qualifying has come quickly through these last three beneficial results,» he commented.
«The options to qualify are latent. Peru depends on itself. If they play with attitude in these last two games, Peru can easily go directly to the World Cup in Russia, without going through the playoffs,» he added.
Ramírez believed that this Peruvian team is even better than the one from 1969, because it is a more compact team with young values that give speed to the team’s game.
He thus valued the work of the coach, the Argentine Ricardo Gareca, whom he highlighted for having replaced players who seemed irreplaceable.
«Little by little he changed them and in their place he placed young values who have given him a very good result, and he has blended them well. They have replaced players who were good footballing but who no longer ran in the same way», Ramirez said.
Among the emerging soccer players of the new team, ‘Cachito’ highlighted Édison Flores, scorer of five goals in the qualifying rounds, three of them in the last matches against Uruguay, Bolivia and Ecuador.
He also highlighted the play of far right André Carrillo and midfielders Renato Tapia, Yoshimar Yotún and Pedro Aquino.
Peru and Argentina are in fourth and fifth place, respectively, in the qualifying rounds, before facing each other on October 5.