There is great expectation in Peru as the hosts open their road to Brazil 2014 against Paraguay at the Estadio Nacional.
The national teams of Peru and Paraguay, who have undergone dramatic change in recent times, begin their 2014 World Cup qualifying quest with an eagerly awaited match-up in the Peruvian capital.
There is great expectation ahead of the match, because both teams have heaps to prove. While Paraguay were the runner-ups of the Copa America, only losing to Uruguay in the final, the Peruvians crushed Venezuela to claim third-place, a historic feat for the nation, considering that they haven't had too much to cheer about in several years.
Even Ollanta Humala, the president of Peru, is behind Sergio Markarian's side, and during the week he visited the squad demanding a "triumph", because according to him it is about time that Peru qualify for soccer's maximum competition.
Peru have a strong squad, and Markarian has confirmed that the 'fantastic four', comprised of Claudio Pizarro, Juan Manuel Vargas, Paulo Guerrero and Jefferson Farfan will all begin the match from the kick-off.
"There is [great] emotion because the four of us will be there. We are the most important players of the national team and we need to be together, it has been a long time since it has been like this," declared Pizarro, the captain of Peru.
Peru has qualified for the World Cup on three occasions, however, the last time being in 1982, when it bowed out at the first hurdle.
In stark contrast, Paraguay have qualified for the past four World Cup finals, and are hoping to make it five in a row in Brazil. Despite reaching the final of the Copa America, Paraguay were a very defensive side and lacked any sort of flair in their game. Due to this, the Paraguayan F.A decided to replace Gerardo Martino with national team legend Francisco Arce as coach.
Despite the change, Arce has selected a similar squad to the one that participated in Argentina. The good news for Paraguay is that Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo is back in the national team fold, after having missed the Copa America due to injury.
A full house of 40,000 fans await both teams at the Estadio Nacional in Lima on Friday.
There is great expectation ahead of the match, because both teams have heaps to prove. While Paraguay were the runner-ups of the Copa America, only losing to Uruguay in the final, the Peruvians crushed Venezuela to claim third-place, a historic feat for the nation, considering that they haven't had too much to cheer about in several years.
Even Ollanta Humala, the president of Peru, is behind Sergio Markarian's side, and during the week he visited the squad demanding a "triumph", because according to him it is about time that Peru qualify for soccer's maximum competition.
Peru have a strong squad, and Markarian has confirmed that the 'fantastic four', comprised of Claudio Pizarro, Juan Manuel Vargas, Paulo Guerrero and Jefferson Farfan will all begin the match from the kick-off.
"There is [great] emotion because the four of us will be there. We are the most important players of the national team and we need to be together, it has been a long time since it has been like this," declared Pizarro, the captain of Peru.
Peru has qualified for the World Cup on three occasions, however, the last time being in 1982, when it bowed out at the first hurdle.
In stark contrast, Paraguay have qualified for the past four World Cup finals, and are hoping to make it five in a row in Brazil. Despite reaching the final of the Copa America, Paraguay were a very defensive side and lacked any sort of flair in their game. Due to this, the Paraguayan F.A decided to replace Gerardo Martino with national team legend Francisco Arce as coach.
Despite the change, Arce has selected a similar squad to the one that participated in Argentina. The good news for Paraguay is that Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo is back in the national team fold, after having missed the Copa America due to injury.
A full house of 40,000 fans await both teams at the Estadio Nacional in Lima on Friday.
