Cueva’s Renewal and the Struggles of Peru’s Attackers: Concerns for South American Qualifiers

Gianluca Lapadula, confirmed absent from the Peruvian team for the start of the 2026 South American Qualifiers, represents a weighty challenge for Juan Reynoso in the duels against Paraguay and Brazil. This problem is further exacerbated when considering the current performance of possible substitutes: Paolo Guerrero, Alex Valera and Raúl Ruidíaz, who in the last 60 days have only racked up three goals between them.

Key days for Cueva: what is known about its renewal and why does Alianza need it?

Depor Data analyzed how the performance of these three attackers has been, who in theory would be the three fixed names on the ‘Cabezón’ list. This analysis shed a red light on the current situation of the bicolor forward, raising concerns for the qualifying matches.

Alex Valera stands out in this modest goalscoring production, with an average of 0.18, which is equivalent to two goals in 11 appearances with the Universitario de Deportes jersey. Paolo Guerrero, on the other hand, has managed one less goal in the same period. It is important to clarify that Guerrero changed teams during this time, going from Racing to Liga de Quito. The “Predator” has managed to score only one goal in eight games.

The situation of Raúl Ruidíaz is even more worrisome. In his eight appearances for the Seattle Sounders, he has failed to break the net, and it is important to note that he has completed 90 minutes in five of the last six games he has played, whether in Major League Soccer or Leagues Cup.

NameClubPJGolesAlex ValeraUniversitario112Paolo GuerreroLiga de Quito81Raúl RuidíazSeattle Sounders80

Reasons for poor production

Paul Guerrero

Shooting accuracy

He has had problems shooting with the direction of the bow. For example, in the last match against El Nacional he did not register a single shot on goal, and in the game with Aucas, he only managed one shot under the three sticks. Although in other matches he’s raised that number, he also had five shots off target and one blocked shot. This suggests that he might be having a hard time maintaining accuracy on his shots, one of his specialties throughout his career.

goal chances

Paolo Guerrero could also be facing difficulties due to the scarcity of goal opportunities that his teammates in Liga de Quito are providing. Throughout the five games he has played with the Ecuadorians, his key passing statistics are notoriously low, with a total of six. Indicator that the team is not managing to create enough goal opportunities for the national striker.

Alex Valera

Effectiveness on key chances

He has missed some clear opportunities to celebrate goals with the Merengues, including significant chances and blocked shots. He signals that he can be under pressure at crucial moments and fails to take advantage of opportunities.

Possession losses

On several occasions, Valera has experienced difficulties maintaining possession of the ball. His statistics show that in the matches against Gimnasia (23 turnovers) and Melgar (15 turnovers), these difficulties were more noticeable. These numbers suggest his poor positioning and limitations in his ability to control the ball during game situations.

Raul Ruidíaz

Lack of assistance and services

In several games, such as against Dallas and Salt Lake, Ruidíaz did not record any key assists or passes. Thermometers that Seattle might be having a hard time creating scoring chances for him, which impacts his ability to score.

lack of aim

During these eight games, Ruidíaz had a total of 9 shots on goal and 7 deflected shots. These numbers indicate low accuracy in his shots, as roughly half of his shots were off-target.

Paraguayan reality

Taking as a reference the two usual center forwards that Guillermo Barros Schelotto has in Paraguay, Gabriel Ávalos and Carlos González, between them they have scored three times as many goals as the national teams mentioned in the note. Ávalos had five goals in ten games with Argentinos Juniors, while González scored four goals in five games. It is necessary to specify that the second has not played officially since July 31.

NameClubPJGolesGabriel ÁvalosArgentinos Juniors105Carlos GonzálezTijuana54

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2023-08-24 00:20:37
#goals #days #precarious #scenario #bicolor #Paraguay #FOOTBALLPERUVIAN