Overview
- Ricardo Gareca, speaking on his La Sustancia program Tuesday, said Christian Cueva told teammates he was fine at halftime after missing a penalty against Denmark at the 2018 World Cup and received their support.
- He added that Cueva responded with a strong second half, asking for the ball and creating chances, which he said showed the miss did not rattle him.
- Gareca argued Peru deserved to win that match on chances created even though it finished as a 1-0 loss to Denmark.
- Addressing selection debates, he said he favored Cueva over Cristian Benavente because Cueva’s level stayed very high, rejecting the idea that favoritism, known in Peru as an 'argolla,' drove the decision.
- Cueva, who appeared as a guest, called the 'argolla' talk an anecdote, noted he has a good relationship with Benavente, and said he wants to rejoin the national team after Gareca advised that renewed focus could put him back in coach Mano Menezes’s plans.