Guerrero grabs brace in Saudi thumping

PERU CAPTAIN PAOLO Guerrero scored twice in a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia in a FIFA World Cup warm-up yesterday on his comeback, three days after a Swiss supreme court ruling put his doping ban on hold.

Guerrero looked every bit the inspirational leader Peru campaigned to clear for action at its first World Cup appearance in 36 years.

Peru already led 1-0 when Guerrero followed up to score from close range in the 41st minute after an initial shot was saved.

Guerrero’s header from Andre

Carrillo’s cross in the 64th brought more adulation from a partisan

Peruvian crowd in neutral St Gallen, Switzerland, near both teams’ training camps.

Carrillo opened the scoring with a stunning left-foot volley in the 20th.

REQUEST FOR APPEAL

Guerrero could yet have to complete a 14-month ban imposed by the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport for his positive test for metabolites of cocaine at a World Cup-qualifying game last October.

Still, a Switzerland Federal Tribunal judge said Thursday the ban should not apply until Guerrero’s appeal is heard in full after the World Cup.

Peru are in Group C with France, Denmark and Australia. They play their first game against Denmark on June 16.

The 67th-ranked Saudis are the lowest-rated team at the World Cup, and play Russia in the opening game on June 14 in Group A.

AP Peru’s Paolo Guerrero looks on during a friendly soccer match between Saudi Arabia and Peru in kybunpark stadium, St Gallen, Switzerland, on Sunday, June 3.