11:51 | Lima, Jul. 26 (ANDINA).
His crucial contribution in guiding Peru to their best Copa America finish in 28 years has fetched Jose Paolo Guerrero a place in the team of the tournament, according to many football pundits around the world.
"He lead the line as Peru's lone frontman and finished as top scorer - an amazing achievement. His goals against Uruguay and Mexico helped Peru past the group stage and then he signed off with a hat-trick to win the Golden Boot and ensure his team's third-place finish," Football365 noted.
"After grabbing a couple of crucial goals in the group stage, the Hamburg striker ensured Peru finished in an impressive third place by exploding in the play-off against Venezuela with a hat-trick in a 4-1 win, becoming the tournament's top-scorer with five goals to his name," Goal.com said.
Meanwhile, ESPN Star lauded him by saying that "playing in a team lacking world-class midfielders apart from (Juan) Vargas, Guerrero's five goals that saw him finish as the Copa America's top scorer was quite a feat."
While some may point out his failure to deliver on the big stage during the knockout rounds, his hat-trick in the bronze-medal playoff against Venezuela was the difference between third and fourth place, it added.
ESPN Star also picked Vargas as the best midfielder on the left flank during the July 1-24 tournament, as "the Fiorentina man was inspirational in Peru's run to third place, regularly creating opportunities for his team-mates, as well as getting on the scoresheet himself in their 2-0 quarter-final victory over Colombia."
"Deployed as a left-winger more often in recent times, Vargas showed he has lost none of his defensive capabilities when he regularly tracked back to help out Peru's often-under-siege defence. He combined sound tactical understanding, with an impressive technical ability as he patrolled the left flank," the site added.
(END) EEP/LVT
Published: 7/26/2011