Christian Cueva. Thirty years. His biography might be a movie, his leadership is no longer discussed and his Peruvianness reaches us all, especially those of us who do what we want on vacation. He is no longer influential only when he plays, or becomes the top scorer in the Qatar 2022 cycle (5), when he associates or dribbles; also on the playlist: today the national team matches open with Contigo Perú and close with El Cervecero. The final stretch of the Qualifiers returned him to a state of grace and in his feet there is peace because in his head there is peace. That must be why in the playoffs, while the minutes passed, the lunches cooled down and the goal did not fall, the question was: Where is Cuevita? Why is he not playing?
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Well, it wasn’t. He played a very discreet game, infected by a slow and overwhelmed team, without surprise and without a kick on goal. And although it was obvious that he wanted to fight him, that he was trying, that he was looking for Yotún’s ghost to associate with, a double cramp ended the drama. It was the pressure, the country on top or simply a cramp. And without Cueva, Peru is just a team, not a selection.
Basically, because that Cueva, physically improved and head more robust, is the leader of the Peruvian locker room. For today and for tomorrow, when you have to carry the team -now yes- without Paolo or Jefferson. And push those who come, Peña, Concha or Iberico. Already owner of the number 10 of Peru, 91 games, 15 goals in the historical table and a surname multiplied by thousands on the backs of the children who wear a Peruvian shirt, Cholo now has the enormous mission of extending his validity to the next elimination process. With Gareca and, above all, without him. Less party and more gym. Less breading and more memory.
In this hour of defeat, when we have to pick up the hearts of our children and try to hit them, let what happened to them serve for the future: we have to be patient with leaders, they are built. In Peru, in addition, they take time. And since we don’t have too many, before just judging them, we have to understand them.
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