Victor Rivera highlighted Ricardo Gareca's work: “The players express their best version”

Victor Rivera, coach with a great career in Peruvian football, referred to Ricardo’s work on the Peruvian national team after recently qualifying for the repechage heading to Qatar 2022. The ‘Chino’ also referred to Christian Cueva, whom he made his debut at the Universidad San Martín in 2008, as well as referring to the work he had in the sub20 alongside the ‘Tigre’.

“Since Ricardo arrived he had very important words that I have always highlighted in the teams I have been to because it serves as a motivation, that he trusts the Peruvian player very much, from the technical, physical and tactical aspects. He has shown this by forming a united group and getting the player to believe a lot in his word, it has allowed the players to express their best version from a technical point of view and it has been very positive”, he commented in an interview with Radio Ovación.

On the other hand, he referred to how he made ‘Aladdin’ debut. “We saw him train, Professor Lavalle had brought him from a match in Huamachuco that played the San Martín reserve. Alberto Masías and Orlando did a good job, I could see him and invite him to the first team to train, I saw the conditions, that ability to face permanently, and that’s where what came from was to support him, give him confidence, the group was good and he was able to make his debut in professional football. It was a virtue at the time and Christian knew how to take advantage of it,” he said.

In addition, he talked about his exquisite attendance for Gianluca Lapadula in Peru’s 1-0 partial over Paraguay at the National Stadium. “For the first goal it is a three-finger pass with the ball in motion, something very difficult to execute, that play seems great to me,” he said.

He also referred to his work in the U20, in the years when Gareca was also leading the senior team. “When we were in the U20 we were in parallel when Ricardo’s process began, and one of the talks we had with the young people, Sergio Peña, Abram, Aquino, was that they don’t lose that illusion of being with the senior team. They believed that they were going to achieve it and many grew up and have been able to achieve that dream,” he said.

Finally, he referred to his present as a coach, the goals he has and any offers he had along the way. “We are still waiting to find a team outside, in Central America we have had some contact. I always have the illusion of directing again.”