World Cup

World Cup 2018 – Team Analysis – Peru

Peru will be boosted by the presence of their all-time top goal-scorer Paolo Guerrero in Russia after his 14-month drug ban was lifted this week.

The striker was a hugely influential figure as La Blanquirroja qualified for their first World Cup in 36 years and is one of several players with good potential for Fantasy returns in Group C.

We’ve got the lowdown on one of the tournament’s possible surprise packages.

READ MORE: Russia and Japan falter in World Cup Fantasy auditions

ROAD TO QUALIFICATION

On paper, this is the greatest Peruvian side to ever travel to a World Cup. Their 2-0 friendly win over Scotland on Tuesday stretched their current unbeaten run to 13 matches, which is now the longest in the country’s history. Accordingly, there is a real sense of optimism that manager Ricardo Gareca can guide Peru out of Group C.

However, their 2018 qualification campaign endured the most inauspicious of starts. In their first seven matches they picked up just four points, ending that run with a 2-0 defeat in Bolivia. Luck turned for Gareca’s side when it was revealed their opponents in that match had fielded an ineligible player and Peru were awarded a 3-0 victory. In the end, were it not for that turnaround, Peru would not have qualified and Chile would have likely taken their place in Group C.

That’s not to say the Peruvians earned a place in Russia’s finals on that technicality alone, though. In the summer of 2016 they topped Group B at the Copa America Centenario by beating Brazil and, after losing to Colombia on penalties in the quarter-finals, they were able to take a winning momentum back into their qualifying campaign.

Between the eighth and final round of the South American round-robin Peru lost just two matches (to Chile and Brazil), defeated Uruguay and twice held Argentina to important draws. A 1-1 stalemate in the last fixture against Colombia saw them beat Chile to the intercontinental play-offs on goal difference. New Zealand were dispatched 2-0 on aggregate thereafter.

The only issue that had threatened to jeopardise Peru’s World Cup chances was the ongoing saga with star striker Guerrero, which has now been resolved. The Flamengo striker tested positive for cocaine and metabolite benzoylecgonine in October and was banned from football for 12 months. In May the Court of Arbitration for Sport extended his ban to 14 months, ruling him out of the World Cup. But on Thursday a Swiss tribunal allowed Guerrero to participate in Russia.

A more disciplined outfit than in the past, Gareca has Peru playing an organised passing style which has impressed all who have watched them in the last year. Their possession-based displays in March friendly wins over Croatia and Iceland had former player Teofilo Cubillas, who appeared at three World Cups with the national team, likening Peru to Barcelona.

A 3-0 win was recorded against Saudi Arabia earlier this month.

CONMEBOL QUALIFYING + PLAY-OFFS

Most starts: Christian Cueva (18), Pedro Gallese and Paolo Guerrero (16), Renato Tapia (15), Christian Ramos, Alberto Rodriguez, Miguel Trauco, Yoshimar Yotun (all 13).

Most goals: Edison Flores, Guerrero (both 5), Cueva, Jefferson Farfan (all 4).

Most assists: Cueva, Yotun (both 4), Guerrero (3), Raul Ruidaz (2).

READ MORE: Australia’s new key targets as Tim Cahill travels to Russia as squad player

THE KEY TARGETS

Lokomotiv Moscow forward Jefferson Farfan (£7.0m on McDonald’s FIFA World Cup Fantasy), formerly of PSV Eindhoven, is both the most recognisable name in Peru’s World Cup squad and the best source of Fantasy investment. Despite making just eight starts in qualifying, the 33-year-old scored four goals and assisted another in sending Peru to the World Cup. Since that campaign ended Farfan has started all three international friendlies scoring twice more and assisting Raul Ruidiaz in a 3-1 win against Iceland. He has very much returned to the forefront of Peruvian football after an absence in 2015/16.

Paolo Guerrero’s (£7.5m) importance to the national team is just as talismanic as Farfan’s. He is the all-time top scorer for Peru with 32 goals in 86 international appearances; five of those were recorded in qualifying and another at the most recent Copa America. Winger Edison Flores (£6.5m) matched that goal output but Guerrero also contributed three assists, showing his appeal as an asset capable of scoring Fantasy points from multiple avenues. Despite not representing the national side since October

Guerrero was matched in his goal involvement during qualifying (eight) by penalty-taking attacking midfielder Christian Cueva (£6.0m). The Sao Paulo playmaker scored four of his own and assisted four more as Peru’s designated corner-taker. His place in the side was well-assured during that two-year spell with none of his compatriots starting more matches either, featuring from the beginning in 18 of the 20 qualifying fixtures. However, one fact to be aware of is that Gareca could opt to sacrifice Cueva for extra defensive midfield cover in the second game against France. The 60-year-old coach tweaked his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-3-2-1 at Cueva’s expense when Peru hosted Argentina in October, successfully holding the star-studded side to a 0-0 draw.

READ MORE: The FPL heroes past and present set to impress on World Cup Fantasy for Spain

THE LONG SHOTS

The Fantasy long shots among Peru’s ranks come exclusively from their defence where there are some creative players with an outside chance at clean sheets in Russia. Now that Gareca has instilled organisation into their back-line, La Blanquirroja have recorded six shut-outs in their last 11 international matches including a memorable one against Argentina.

The versatile Yoshimar Yotun (£5.5m on McDonald’s FIFA World Cup Fantasy) is the leading candidate for Peruvian clean sheet potential considering he is classified as a defender on Fantasy iTeam despite operating in the midfield either as a central player or a left-winger. The Orlando City man recorded four assists in South America’s round robin (joint-top for Peru) before adding another in the friendly win over Scotland in May.

Occupying an crucial role on Peru’s left flank is full-back Miguel Trauco (£5.0m) who has three assists in his last 14 starts for his country. The Flamengo defender’s pace makes him an important outlet for the team and his impressive displays saw him named the best player in Peru in 2016.

Pedro Gallese (£4.5m) is the established figure in goal for Peru and is widely seen as one of the nation’s best ever custodians. A knee operation ruled the 28-year-old out of recent friendlies but he should reclaim the number one jersey for June 16’s opener against Denmark.

UPCOMING FRIENDLIES

June 9: Sweden v Peru (Stockholm)

Further Analysis

Our comprehensive World Cup guide can be found here.

Group A Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay

Group BIran, Morocco, Portugal, Spain

Group CAustralia, Peru, France, Denmark

Group DArgentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria

Group EBrazil, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Serbia

Group FMexico, Germany, Sweden, South Korea

Group GBelgium, Panama, Tunisia, England

Group HSenegal, Japan, Poland, Colombia

Our editor’s Fantasy World Cup tips as told to Proper Sport

FANTASY ITEAM

Fantasy Football Scout is supporting Fantasy iTeam, a free World Cup game available on a number of mobile devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPodTouch and Android. We have an official Fantasy Football Scout League open to UK users only, with a £1000 of Amazon vouchers to give out, split between the top three performers. There’s also the small matter of £10k worth of prizes available in the main competitions: Overall World Championship and Manager of the Gameround.

Click here for details and here to sign up.

Our League name is Fantasy Football Scout and the pin is 1887.

Please note, users must be over 18 and based in the UK to join our league.

62 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Ghost Ship
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Is it just me or is the FIFA fantasy game still not up and running?

    1. G-Whizz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      7th June it should be live...

      1. UshFPL
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        Since when is it 7th? Everyone was saying the 4th

        1. FFFrog
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 10 months ago

          See the HT - that's what it says on the FIFA website

          1. UshFPL
            • 7 Years
            5 years, 10 months ago

            Ok, cheers

  2. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    MCDONALDS FIFA WORLD CUP FANTASY OPENS 7TH OF JUNE

    Thought I'd get that out of the way before people start asking.

    1. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      And I still didn't succeed...

      1. G-Whizz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        😆

  3. Bambi
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Poch: "The link now with Madrid is normal and I take it with all normality. I’m committed to Spurs and still have a long contract with them I just signed. I’m happy where I am, and to be here talking about this book.”

    Glad this has put all the wums back in their place

    1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      🙂

  4. boc610
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    spuds fans get your goodbyes ready.... I wonder who he will take with him?

    http://www.goal.com/en/news/pochettino-offers-cryptic-what-will-be-will-be-response-to/wbbbzbhrvh1x1y1hal3gd54b6

    1. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/8nqmdr/pochettino_in_his_book_event_i_am_very_happy_at/

      Don't trust sensationalist media. I doubt RM would fork out £50 mil plus for what could be a manager for a season.

  5. CloudSky
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Real Madrid bench situation (as per Palmeri):

    - Löw calls himself out
    - Pochettino is ambiguous, makes understand that he would go but no way if Spurs don’t let him
    - Guti/Solari atm Florentino seems oriented to more experienced
    - Conte/Wenger no signs
    - Laudrup agent claiming a contact

    1. Give The Todd Some Love
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Laudrup lol

  6. Now I'm Panicking
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Poch says some deliberately vague comments which don't tell us anything.

    Interpretation: Spurs fans = "he's saying he's definitely staying", non Spurs fans = "looks like he's going"

    1. Niemi
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Definitely.

      To me it seems like he would have gone if Levy let him, but he's happy enough to stay and won't throw toys out of the pram to get a move now. Timing probably not right for him.

      I can see him go there in a couple of years.

    2. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Tbh as a non-spurs fan, Poch seems like more of a project manager, which Real Madrid certainly won't be.

      1. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        I dunno though, opportunity to rebuild post ronaldo. But that could be as simple as buying Neymar and getting on with it...

  7. Niemi
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Sky: "Surely no one says no to Madrid. It's impossible isn't it? "
    Pochettino: "For you, it's impossible yeah. But you are not me."

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      How do you expect him to answer? He isn't going to say "I would definitely say yes" is he in the current situation? This is getting rather silly now.

      1. Niemi
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        He could have said something along the lines of "it's hard to say no to a team like Madrid".

        I do agree it doesn't mean a lot, but it seems like he's staying based on what he's said today.

        1. Now I'm Panicking
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 10 months ago

          Or he could have said "I'm not going to Madrid" outright. Everyone (not just on here, the press as well) seems to be just trying to convince themselves something is going to happen/not happen based on their own preference when in reality no-one really knows or has influence or control on what will actually happen.

          1. Niemi
            • 9 Years
            5 years, 10 months ago

            Reading the full comments it doesn't seem like he's going anywhere though, but I agree with you that we can't know what's going to happen.

            1. Now I'm Panicking
              • 9 Years
              5 years, 10 months ago

              FWIW (which isn't much!), I think he will more likely stay too, but nothing would surprise me.

              1. Niemi
                • 9 Years
                5 years, 10 months ago

                Nothing surprise me anymore, but I would be really disappointed as a Spurs fan if he left now.

    2. Norman Conquest
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      hopefully mou want to go back

  8. Lovren an elevator
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Is Rami first team for France?

    1. CloudSky
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      No.

    2. FFFrog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Unlikely to start - he played against Ireland because Varane hadn’t joined the squad yet after the CL final

    3. Give The Todd Some Love
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Varane and Umtiti surely

  9. Funkyav
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Do we have any idea why the official game is being released so late? It's not like fifa hasn't known this was coming.

    For those of us organising mini leagues it is almost not worth it with just a week to recruit.

    1. Norman Conquest
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      they are always late not sure why
      i will struggle to get more than 5 in my ml i think they are dropping like flies

      1. Funkyav
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        Exactly they did this last time too iirc

        So what are the alternatives? What other free games are decent? I was just gonna wait but I wanted to set up mini league this weekend really

        1. Norman Conquest
          • 10 Years
          5 years, 10 months ago

          there is ifit ,telegraph

    2. Andy'81
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      The final squads for the competition don't have to be confirmed until the 4th of the June. I suppose that might not have helped.

  10. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Truly impossible to recruit someone and tell them the game opens at the 7th

  11. child of God
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    How much is the most expensive player and the cheapest starting player likely to cost?

    1. FFFrog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      12m and 4m I think but I don’t work for FIFA

      1. goriuanx
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        But you work for McDonald's. 😉

  12. Fantasy Gold
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    How likely is Abramovich to sell Chelsea and move on?

    1. Norman Conquest
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      doubtful

    2. Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Its hard to say.I can not see too many willing to buy the club with Roman being owed £1billion by Chelsea.

      I think worst cast scenario for Chelsea is if he loses interest and starts stripping out the clubs assets to try and recover some of the money he has put in.

      I think Chelsea has served its purpose for Roman and he could very well be looking to discard it.

      1. Rust Cohle
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        Hasn’t he already started quietly stripping out the assets. Costa, Matic, Oscar, Ake, Shurrle, KDB, Salah, Lukaku, etc. You can argue about whether they have received full value or more than full value for any individual, but they have sold £500M in players and certainly haven’t brought that back in value in recent years. Azpi, Hazard, Kante, and TC could fetch a nice price. Expect them to go next. All London clubs are sellers during recent times.

  13. goriuanx
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Put yourself in Pochettino's shoes.

    Why would you stay at Spurs when you can manage the biggest club in the world?

    1. Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Because Levy has a firm hold of your balls.

    2. Fantasy Gold
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      You could say the same for Klopp.

      1. goriuanx
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        You could say the same for any manager. Whether the manager feels like they suit Madrid's structure is another thing. The point I'm making in is that his comments mean nothing. If he turns down Madrid, fair play.

        1. Fantasy Gold
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 10 months ago

          We don’t even know that they are after him though, there’s zero proof of that being the case.

          1. goriuanx
            • 13 Years
            5 years, 10 months ago

            Depends which outlets you choose to believe.

            I don't think he is good enough for Madrid as of today, but maybe that's just me.

            1. Fantasy Gold
              • 9 Years
              5 years, 10 months ago

              I want them to take Mourinho back but zero chance of that 🙁

              1. goriuanx
                • 13 Years
                5 years, 10 months ago

                Not with his style of play. They need a manager with experience of winning, managing big egos and playing exciting football. Very few of those, if any.

            2. Ógie
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              5 years, 10 months ago

              The bookmakers have Poch as pretty much even money to get the job and certainly would not bet against them in this case.

  14. wagwan
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Given the 3rd place playoff is part of the final round in the WC fantasy, and that these games tend to be significantly higher scoring than the actual WC final, it looks like targeting that game is a pretty good strategy. Do teams rotate much for the 3rd place playoff?

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Yes - I'm surprised they even still have the 3rd place play-off.

  15. Richd
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Test

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Ickles

    2. Fantasy Gold
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Osterone

    3. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Match Special

    4. Bury94
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      ament

  16. mad_beer ✅
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    I have no gray box next to my name. I feel so common.

    1. Fantasy Gold
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      You need to get back in the box ASAP