11:43 | Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Jul. 7.
Ricardo Gareca has done it again. With Peru's berth in the final of the
Copa America, the Argentine coach once again has shown his ability to guide the red-white team to success at the highest level of world soccer.
Since Gareca took the helm of Peru in March 2015, the Incas have steadily grown as a team and achieved a series of feats and first-ever milestones.
With their 3-0 rout of Chile in the southern city of Porto Alegre on Wednesday night, the side achieved their first berth in a Copa America final in 44 years.
Peru had not reached the championship match since 1975, when Hugo Sotil and Teofilo Cubillas led them to their second title at South America's soccer championship.
Paolo Guerrero, the national team's all-time leading scorer, and other key players such as Edison Flores and Andre Carrillo will now have the chance to hoist a third trophy if they can pull off a new Maracanazo against host Brazil in today's final.
Peru achieved that feat despite appearing to be on the verge of elimination after eight qualifying matches.
They have shown similar resilience at this year's Copa America in Brazil, bouncing back to record two wins after suffering a humiliating 5-0 defeat at the hands of the host nation in the group phase.
One of the wins over the stretch was a 2-1 away victory over Ecuador in Quito on Sept. 5, 2017, Peru's first-ever road win against that neighboring country in a World Cup qualifier.
Prior to that important victory over Ecuador, Peru had earned their first road win in 12 years in a World Cup qualifying match by defeating Paraguay 4-1 in Asuncion on Nov. 10, 2016.
Paraguay opened the scoring in that match, but Peru stormed back in the second half with goals by Christian Ramos, Edison Flores and Christian Cueva (as well as an own goal by Paraguay's Edgar Benitez).
Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese stopped a shot by FC Barcelona superstar Luis Suarez at the start of the shootout and Edison Flores finished off the victory with one final goal, following earlier successful attempts by Paolo Guerrero, Raul Ruidiaz, Yoshimar Yotun and Luis Advincula.
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Published: 7/7/2019