Why you should watch every team at the 2018 World Cup

Peru

For a nation as soccer-crazed as Peru, their national team’s success rate is stupefyingly low. They have played in just four World Cups in their history, one of which was the inaugural 1930 addition, in which they lost both of their games, and they have not qualified for the world’s most prestigious soccer tournament since 1982.

It’s not that they haven’t had world-class players; in fact, they’ve been loyal proponents of South America’s traditionally elegant and technical playing style. But that their qualification for this year’s World Cup was such an important step forward for the national team is a painful indictment of its historical underachievement.

Under manager Ricardo Gareca, they’ve recently enjoyed a period of success unlike any other in their history, barring possibly their mid-70s Copa America win. They finished third in the 2015 Copa, beating a Luis Suarez-less Uruguay (biting suspension) in the quarterfinal and eventually defeating Paraguay in the third-place game. A year later, Peru aided in the group-stage elimination of Brazil in the 2016 Centenario addition.

Now, they enter the 2018 World Cup after narrowly securing fifth-place in CONMEBOL’s difficult qualifying schedule and defeating New Zealand in the intercontinental playoff. Many of their top players ply their trade in the Americas, particularly in South America.

Captain Alberto Junior Rodriguez plays for Atletico Junior in Colombia after two years at Universitario in Peru. Jefferson Farfan is in Russia playing for Lokomotiv Moscow. Among their significant MLS contingent are Portland’s Andy Polo, Orlando’s Yoshimar Yotun and Minnesota’s Alexi Gomez. Vancouver star Yordy Reyna’s status is unclear following a legal ordeal.

Paolo Guerrero’s suspension and ongoing saga was an unfortunate development, but this is an unprecedented golden age for Peruvian soccer. We’ll see if they can live up to expectations.