Peru hoping to rekindle World Cup hopes against Uruguay

Striker Paolo Guerrero is hoping Peru's World Cup qualifier against Uruguay on Tuesday will revive the team's hopes of playing in football's showpiece tournament next year.

Peru are currently eighth in the 10-team South American zone standings and they have to win at Estadio Nacional here to have any chance of going to Russia, reports Xinhua news agency.

"In the last few matches we haven't played well. But this is a new opportunity to get our qualifying hopes back on track," Guerrero told Peruvian radio station CMD.

Ricardo Gareca's team has not won since a 4-1 away victory over Paraguay in November. In their two qualifiers since then, they lost 0-2 at home to Brazil and drew 2-2 in Venezuela.

Uruguay, who are second in the standings, had their confidence dented by a 1-4 home defeat to Brazil on Thursday.

"They are going to come at us. That's the way they play. They are Uruguay. But we have shown that we have the talent to test any team," the 33-year-old Flamengo striker said.

"It's always motivating to play against them. It's going to be a tough match. But we are playing at home and we will be doing everything we can to win," he added.

--IANS

gau/vt