Kruse a threat
HE HAS been viciously targeted by faceless online trolls and haters but Robbie Kruse has been identified as Australia’s biggest danger by Peru, the team Australia must beat to have any chance of qualifying for the next round of the World Cup.
Peru midfield linchpin Edison Flores identified Australia’s pace going forward as the Socceroos’ biggest weapon and singled out Kruse.
“We know that in attack they have really fast players like Kruse – he’s a really important player,’’ Flores said at Peru’s base camp on the outskirts of Moscow. “We need to stop them and try to make sure that their dangerous play isn’t dangerous against us.’’
Peru seemingly has more respect for Kruse than some Socceroos supporters but the forward has also received strong support from teammates including Mathew Leckie and Mark Milligan.
“For his own people, for Australians, to be slagging off – it’s not OK,” Leckie said. “It’s never good for any player to cop that sort of stuff so, hopefully, it tones down.”
Flores, who plays his club football in Denmark for Aalborg, said his team would be ready for the Australians.
“We’ve watched their games against France and Denmark,’’ he said.
“They’re a very fast side, I think they are playing well and they picked up an important draw in their last game. Against us they’ll continue playing at the highest level as they always do.’’
For Australia to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time since 2006 they must beat Peru and rely on France defeating Denmark.
Peru have lost both games they have played in this World Cup – 1- 0 to both France and Denmark – and Flores said his team were determined to go home with at least one win. Peru were widely regarded as unlucky against Denmark, and also pushed France close.
“The team always tried, we always went forward. In this last game we will give the best, and we hope that this time we give the goals,’’ Flores said.
He also said that while the team were going home early, their World Cup campaign should not be seen as a failure.
“This does not end here, it’s a great start,” he said.