Peru 2-0 Scotland
There was little to no doubt about how this game would end. Peru are too good of a team for Scotland it was a pointless exercise to predict possible Peru vs Scotland results as the difference in quality between these two sides were painfully clear.
The question was about by how many goals will Peru win by. Peru showcased enough quality and character that even a 3-0 result wouldn’t have been weird. The Scots knew that they were headed to a tough match coming in, and Alex McLeish did everything he can to make sure his lads won’t play their Russia-bound hosts without at least a shot.
However, there was no way the Incas would allow the Scots to trip them during their World Cup preparation. They did Lima proud with their dominant display as they brush up their preparations for their tough group stage.
Highlights
Peru stepped on the gas from the game’s outset and didn’t allow their visitors any room for rest. While Scotland managed to make Jose Carvallo sweat every now and then, those opportunities were in no way challenging for him and the rest of the Peruvian defence.
More than anything, Peru tested Jordan Archer and the rest of the Scottish backline for most of the contest. The Millwall keeper already had to defend against brilliant free-kick attempts, corners and dashes to the penalty box.
Everything came to a head when a mad dash in the 36th minute saw Archer way out of position at the mercy of Jefferson Farfan after chasing a long ball. Farfan immediately fired the ball from the left after leaving Archer in the dust only to have Scot McKenna block the attempt with his arms for the instantaneous penalty.
Christian Cueva was the one who took the shot for Peru. While Archer made the right guess during the Cueva’s attempt, the shot was just too powerful for him to make it on time. Lima was roaring by the time the ball went into the net, and the midfielder’s multiple celebrations made sure the crowd knows that he is celebrating with them.
Cueva had another chance to quickly double the lead after Archer spilt a long shot attempt but fluffed the bounce. His frustration was evident after he saw the wild football fly out of bounds.
Peru failed to score again until the second half began. Yoshimar Yotun fired a bullet through a crowded Scottish box to find Farfan for the quick strike. Archer was somewhat able to reach the shot, but the ball just slid past his elbow and went in.
Scotland failed to get anything done on their end, but their motor and willingness to challenge the Peruvians were nothing short of admirable. Their defensive efforts before Archer’s questionable decision-making was superb, and their aggression moving forward was encouraging.
Charlie Mulgrew claimed that there was little to no negativity surrounding the squad ahead of the game, but the way that they played in Peru should have raised some concerns.
Key Statistics
The most noticeable thing about this game was the number of debutants fielded by McLeish. Archer was the biggest draw among the seven debutants McLeish fielded early in his second stint as Scotland boss. Fellow Scottish debutants were Stephen O’Donnell, Lewis Stephenson, Dylan McGeouch, Graeme Shinnie, Lewis Morgan and Chris Cadden. While Archer was a disappointment during the match, McGeough and Morgan played well enough that future caps for them aren’t far off.
There were questions as to how Peru will play without Paolo Guerrero, but this brilliant result against Scotland is one that Ricardo Gareca is more than happy to see. The Incas had more time with the ball, allowing Cueva and the rest of the midfield to try attempt after attempt at the Scots.
These two countries haven’t met a lot in international friendlies, but the only other time they met was during the 1978 World Cup. While they were now the favourites to win, it was a bit disconcerting that they didn’t have many shots towards the Scottish goal. Gareca must make adjustments if he hopes to score against France, Australia and Denmark.
What’s next?
Scotland will now move up to Central America and face Mexico. They will also likely struggle to score goals against El Tri, but this game should have brought ideas to McLeish. It will be curious to see if Archer will be called up to the plate again and try to stop Chicharito and the rest of the Russia-bound Mexico team from scoring.
Meanwhile, Peru will be trading blows with fellow World Cup-bound opponents. Friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Sweden should give Gareca, Cueva, Farfan and the rest of the South American team a clue on where they sit when it comes to form and preparedness.
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