Moscow, June 14 (IANS) Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese has said that his team’s FIFA World Cup opener against Denmark will be “very important” and that the Scandinavians’ height will be a challenge for the South Americans.
“The match against Denmark will be like the one against Sweden: tough and intense,” Gallese said during a press conference here on Wednesday, adding that the team will focus on clinching victory rather than on their opponents’ physical advantage, reports EFE news agency.
He also said that, while “the physical aspect is important” when going against players as tall as the Danes, the Peruvian squad is working on counteracting the height disadvantage.
“We have already faced teams whose players are taller than us,” he said.
“We acknowledge the importance of this game and we know how to play it. Denmark will try to leverage their height, but we have faced similar teams and we have to defend the ball and be smart enough to avoid fouls.”
Gallese added that the squad will not focus on defending against Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen — Denmark’s star player — saying that they will rely on a strategy focused on attacking the “difficult rival,” as “there is a reason they made the World Cup.”