In-form Peru bring eye of ‘The Tiger’ to World Cup playoff with Socceroos

11-Jun-2022 20:00:28 | Guardian

Ricardo ‘The Tiger’ Gareca takes the core of the Peru team that beat Australia 2-0 at Russia 2018 into showdown for Qatar

They call Ricardo Gareca, the coach of the Peruvian national team, “The Tiger”.

He received the nickname for being a fearless and tireless striker for Argentine teams Boca Juniors, River Plate, Velez Sarsfield and Independiente, and then America de Cali in the Colombia League, where Gareca won two league titles and was runner-up in three Copa Libertadores. Gareca played 20 internationals for Argentina, scoring five goals, including one against Peru, which eliminated them from the 1986 World Cup and sent them into a 36-year drought between tournaments.