What does Oblitas mean when he talks about supporting the Blanquirroja?

The current affairs of the Peruvian Soccer Team required the participation of Juan Carlos Oblitas, general director of the FPF. For this reason, this 10/25 he offered a press conference (here) in Videna, where he cleared up doubts and strengthened others.

As a player, Oblitas has all the credentials (two World Cups (1978 and 1982) and one Copa América (1975); as a coach, five national championships (including LDU’s in 2005) and a qualifying process without result (World Cup in France 1998); in his role as sports leader, he was one of the architects of the 2018 World Cup qualification in Russia.

An impeccable career, guided by a standard of conduct commensurate with its responsibilities. A profile to follow, a solid example for today’s Peruvian soccer players, who have in Oblitas a counterexample to the irresponsible people who will be remembered for scandals, drunkenness and sporting failures.

However, in this standard of conduct, Oblitas has been characterized by conciliation (calming things down and looking for a solution), seen especially as a coach and leader. This attitude is part of his triumphs and the heart of his failures. As for the last thing: the defense of the indefensible when he was Vladimir Popović’s assistant in the disastrous qualifier for the 1994 World Cup in the USA, his overconfidence in the rout he gave us Chile in 1997 and in the elimination of the quarterfinals in the 1999 Copa América against Mexico on penalties, having been ahead on the scoreboard on two occasions… The list of discomforts can go up to the elimination of the Blanquirroja from the World Cup in Qatar in the playoff against Australia (he is one of those responsible).

We record this series of sporting missteps to underline what was seen yesterday in La Videna: Oblitas is repeating past mistakes. From what he said, the important thing is not the revelation of Cueva’s injury, much less the non-inclusion of Oliver Sonne (having a great moment in the Danish league, a league superior to the Peruvian one), nor the terrible level of the local championship, but its emphasis on what is ultimately most important: supporting the National Team.

There is no Peruvian who is against the National Team. The National Team has given us genuine joy in recent years. However, what does Oblitas mean when he talks about supporting the Blanquirroja?

As we have already indicated: despite the difficulty of the current tie, the Blanquirroja can try for a direct place in the next World Cup (there are six direct and one playoff, ergo: South America could have up to seven representatives) as long as a change is made drastic. Opportunities like this will not arise again. Reynoso is a good coach, but something happened to him when he took the reins of the National Team. Gareca’s shadow minimized it to the point of destroying a game base that only had to be reinforced. His attitudes left him, in front of the players, as a person who cannot be trusted (there are several examples, one of them: what happened with Ruidíaz in the Brazil goal). The play of the selected teams is clear evidence that they do not want Reynoso on the bench. You don’t have to be a footballer to detect it: you may be slow due to age, but you cannot lose the desire to fight for all the balls, an attitude that was seen in the two previous eliminatory processes. The ABC of football does not admit floro. The ABCD of Peruvian soccer less. No matter the continuity or the level of the league in which he plays, a Peruvian player motivated and committed to his coach raises his level in the National Team. That has already been seen.

The function of the national coach is not to train. Their role is to work on tactics in the few days prior to the matches. A National Team Coach does not have the time of a club coach, who can work on his processes. The results for Reynoso’s case are unfavorable. Before you got lost playing something, with Reynoso you get lost playing nothing. He lost the credit of the fans, who are not idiots with this lucubration that this situation is similar to the beginnings of the two previous eliminatory processes.

Bolivia and Venezuela are not winnable. There is no reason to believe that Blanquirroja will get the six points in dispute. Doesn’t Bolivia see us as the opportunity to start adding? The way Venezuela is playing, is it an easy rival for Peru? Those selected will not have their chip changed in the three/five days of practice prior to the matches. Too much risk when dealing with direct rivals. It is true that the processes must be respected, but the principle is legitimized when there are reasons to trust and what Reynoso has done is disconnect the fans from the Blanquirroja, who do play the games and who on this occasion are right in their claims. . It is more accurate than current sports analysis and more decisive than Oblitas.

Oblitas, then, has the moral authority to give Reynoso the finger. Oblitas continues to endorse him more out of affection than out of faith in his work. The affection is costing us a lot and, as we are once again influencing, these direct places for the World Cup will not be repeated. Waiting for the next November games to pass to evaluate Reynoso’s continuity is a provocation for the simple reason that he cannot connect with the players, several of them World Cup players.

It depends on Oblitas that this tie is not another leadership defeat. He has the golden opportunity to differentiate himself from Agustín Lozano, the real person responsible for this terrible moment.

(Matias Reyes).