Peru great: NZ play ‘80s football

A Peruvian football great has accused the All Whites of playing like a team from the 1980s.

Julio Ce´ sar Uribe - who played on Peru’s last World Cup finals squad in 1982 - said in the El Comercio newspaper yesterday that Peru were ‘‘better as a team and technically’’ superior to their New Zealand rivals.

He said the All Whites ‘‘practise football of the 80s’’ and offered little threat in front of goal in the scoreless first leg at Wellington last Saturday.

‘‘It changed when [Chris] Wood came on, who, in just 15 minutes, did more than the other attackers.’’

Uribe, an attacking midfielder, was rated South America’s third best player in 1981 behind Argentina’s Diego Maradona and Brazilian star Zico.

He played for Calgiari in Italy and had two stints as Peru’s national team coach.

The 59-year-old currently coaches Peru premier league club Juan Aurich.

Uribe felt the All Whites offered ‘‘little offensive power’’ in Wellington,

but ‘‘the concentration level of New Zealand’s defence is at its maximum’’.

He believes Peru coach Ricardo Gareca should field a two-pronged strikeforce with Rau´ l Ruidı´az once dubbed the Peruvian Messi up front alongside Jefferson Farfa´ n, who played in Wellington in place of suspended captain Paolo Guerrero.

Other former Peruvian players have also urged Gareca to be bold with his selections for the second leg.

Jose´ Manuel Vela´squez - who played at the 1978 and 1982 World Cup finals - told La Republica he would play ‘‘4-3-3’’ against the All Whites with Farfa´ n, Ruidı´az and the Vancouver Whitecaps Yordy Reyna in attack.