Peru Team | Marcelo Neveleff: “I know callies, askuse. But I watch Argentinian football, Advincula is an animal, he kills you on that right side” | Peru vs Dominican Republic | Game-Total

SEE: Fossati's 3-5-2: How it worked against Nicaragua and who could step into the formation against the Dominican Republic

The Dominican is a country better at baseball than soccer, however, with the coach's revelations about bringing players of Dominican descent to his team, they plan to strengthen that bond with their people. Additionally, it features Junior Firpo who played for Barcelona in Spain.

-How do you plan the fight against Peru?

At this point, you know, just like any other trainer: watching the competitor through videos. In that, we have an idea in the head of the players we are going to bring in, but obviously, we follow the leagues we play in, so at the moment, we can bring 100 percent. After that, we'll look at Peru's last matches, albeit not with the same coach, but we'll look at the tenure of some of the players called up, as the Peruvian team prepares for the Copa America. Before I judged that they would be now, though we knew many of them. Additionally, we analyze the professor's time at U to get an idea of ​​his style of play from there.

-Do you feel at a disadvantage not knowing how your Fossati Eleven will end up?

I don't think this is a disadvantage, rather we don't have any information about Fossati and since he is starting, I imagine he will have to answer questions about which eleven he wants to field. That match against Nicaragua will be good for us because we will have an idea of ​​their style of play.

What is the Dominican Republic's style of play?

We try to push the ball as much as possible, create play and finish the game with speed. This is basically what we are trying to do in two words. But if we don't have the ball, we know how to group ourselves, organize ourselves defensively, especially if we're held down, to see if we can get out at pace. Obviously, facing a high quality team like Peru, we have to take our precautions and not be naive.

-Many questions arose when we found out that we were going to face the Dominican Republic here in Peru. Does it bother you that they look down on your team and say they are a winnable competitor?

No no. Honestly, I don't think the criticism was directed at us, I guess. Peru was going to face Italy, which was not playing, so they decided to play against Nicaragua and us. This is a problem for the Peru team, not ours. Having received this invitation, we feel very honored and happy to play against the World Cup team. Imagine it is very good for us, I look at it from that side. I left it up to you, I'm not sure it's disrespectful to us.

-But could beating Peru in the monumental stadium in front of more than 60 thousand people be a mental impulse?

How! (Smiling) That's what we're aiming for, but we're a young team since last year and I've played 8 games. It was nothing and with many local players, we played in the Nations Cup, we had injuries, I mean, we didn't have a full team. God willing, in March, we will have a complete team, whatever one wants.

– You worked with Kallis in Orlando, are you surprised that he is one of the best goalkeepers in South America?

No, because I saw Pedro in the three years I was there, and I saw him on a daily basis. At Orlando City we had great coordination between the first team, reserves and youth teams. When I arrived, Yotún had already left and I spent some time with Ascues. What Pedro does, his talent is natural, as if he doesn't try to do it. He is a consummate professional. When we took Quembol Guadalupe, Gallese gave him a hand. The fans are very good, I wish them success, but when they play against us they don't break it (laughs) The fact is that the aerial release has improved a lot, Kallis, because there is a lot in MLS. Aerial game in the region and it saved the team on many occasions.

Does facing a Warrior with a few games left in 2024 take the pressure off?

Well, he has been a reference in recent years, a player who always fights against him, it's a shame that he can only play after a problem, because he enjoys facing good players. . You have an interesting choice, I watch Argentina football and Advíncula is an animal on the right side he will kill you. There will be Kallis, Cartagena, Lapatula, Corso and I like how they play because they have talent.

-Will you maintain your 1-3-5-2 playing style?

It sounds like such a formation, but usually we play 4-2-3-1, with a winger who always joins the attacking phase, and we try to create things with five players in an attacking third. Knowing who we are, we're playing against Peru, a World Cup team, and for that we always have to respect all teams and see a game where we can win.

-In your last five games against the Dominican Republic, you have won 3, drawn 1 and lost the other, does it give you confidence to face what lies ahead?

Yes, in that sense, I'm very happy with the players I've called up because they've adapted the idea and transferred it to the pitch as best they could. There are days that come out better than others, so I'm pretty happy in that respect.

-If your team continues this development, do you want the Dominican Republic to qualify for the World Cup?

Our dream is to fight till the end. We transfer that dream to players, leaders and, God willing, fans. With this dream that we're trying to realize, we've brought in players who are in Europe because they're not, and we're putting together a good team with great players playing in the best leagues. So, what not to dream of when you have the components, it's easy to do.

Who are those players from Europe?

Junior Firpo who plays for Leeds United will arrive today and we are going to bring Noam Baumann, a Swiss Dominican goalkeeper who plays for OFI Crete in Greece. We have Heinz Morschel, a mixed midfielder of German-Dominican descent, who plays for Újpest FC in Budapest. Then, we have players who, being in the national team, play in Bolivia's first division. Dominican league clubs have exported players to the Bolivian league in the past year, about 10 players, 8 of which have been invited to all national team call-ups. We are professionalizing the team and looking for improvement from the previous year to the current level. Apart from that, Nice has a player called midfielder Pablo Rosario and he is one of the players we are negotiating with and he has expressed interest in playing with us.

Will these players you mention be against Peru?

God willing, yes, that's the idea. We want to go with a team that is going to play in the qualifiers in July and we don't have anything after March, so we have to make the most of this March call-up.

What's going on with Mariano Diaz?

I think Mariano's case is to convince him based on how we are growing day by day, not only on the field of play but also in the federation. Being a better organization, having more resources, playing in a top league, I imagine we have an outstanding account that we are growing in terms of what I can tell you.

-Do they need to improve that bad relationship they had in the past with Mariano Diaz?

Obviously, it shows what you do. I like to talk if not act through concrete examples. We are at that point. In 2023, there was an important development not only in the game, but also in the mindset of the Dominican player, if they are in a better position than they are now, what they add, let them come and contribute their grain for good. Dominican Football. Our kids in the Dominican Republic don't have soccer idols, and sometimes that's an emphasis with the arrival of Firpo, Pablo Rosario and Mariano.

– Are you talking to other players of Dominican descent to bring them into your program?

We have our eyes on Peter Federico Gonzalez, who was at Real Madrid Castilla, and has now moved to Valencia FC and has already made his debut with the first team. He is a boy, we have our eyes on him and thank God we have qualified for the Paris Olympics. I'm talking to Peter personally, but everything slowly, patiently, because it's 2002, he grew up in Spain and I imagine he wants to play for the Spanish national team. It's not easy to compete with that, that's why we have to do things well, they feel that we do them well so that we don't make a wrong move.