Football World Cup 1978 / Peru
This article covers the Peruvian national soccer team at the 1978 World Cup .
qualification
First round
| rank | country | Gates | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Peru |
8: 2 | 6th |
| 2 |
 Chile
|
5: 3 | 5 |
| 3 |
 Ecuador
|
1: 9 | 1 |
| Ecuador | - | Peru | 1: 1 | Oblitas 43. (0: 1), Paz 81. (1: 1) |
| Chile | - | Peru | 1: 1 | Ahumada 42. (1: 0), Múnante 70. (1: 1) |
| Peru | - | Ecuador | 4-0 | Oblitas (2 goals), Luces, Velasquez |
| Peru | - | Chile | 2-0 | Sotil Goal 49th, Oblitas 54th |
Final round
| rank | country | Gates | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .svg){kind=small} Brazil |
9-0 | 4th |
| 2 | Peru |
5: 1 | 2 |
| 3 |  Bolivia |
0:13 | 0 |
| Brazil | - | Peru | 1-0 | Gil 53. |
| Peru | - | Bolivia | 5-0 | Cubillas 31st, 44th, Velasquez 65th, 89th, Rojas 74. |
Peruvian contingent
Games of the Peruvian team
First round
| rank | country | Gates | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peru |
7: 2 | 5 |
| 2 |  Netherlands |
5: 3 | 3 |
| 3 |
 Scotland
|
5: 6 | 3 |
| 4th |
 Iran
|
2: 8 | 1 |
-
Peru - Scotland 3: 1 (1: 1)
Stadium: Estadio Chateau Carreras ( Córdoba )
Spectators: 37,927
Goals: 0: 1 Jordan (14th), 1: 1 Cueto (43rd), 2: 1 Cubillas (72nd), 3: 1 Cubillas (77th)
-
Netherlands 0-0 Peru
Stadium: Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza ( Mendoza )
Spectators: 28,125
Goals: none
-
Peru - Iran 4: 1 (3: 1)
Stadium: Estadio Chateau Carreras ( Córdoba )
Spectators: 21,262
Goals: 1-0 Velásquez (2nd), 2-0 Cubillas (36th) 11m , 3-0 Cubillas (39th) 11m , 3: 1 Rowshan (41st), 4: 1 Cubillas (79th)
Peru played the best football in Group 4 thanks to its scoring playmaker Cubillas and many observers saw good chances for the Inca offspring in the second final round. However, it turned out differently. Second was runner-up world champion Netherlands, who prevailed despite the defeat against Scotland (2: 3) in the last group game due to the better goal difference. The Scots, on the other hand, lost a better position with a 1: 1 against Iran, which was clearly defeated by the Netherlands (0: 3) and Peru (1: 4).
Second round
| rank | country | Gates | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Argentina |
8-0 | 5 |
| 2 | Brazil |
6: 1 | 5 |
| 3 |
.svg){kind=small} Poland
|
2: 5 | 2 |
| 4th |
Peru
|
0:10 | 0 |
-
Brazil - Peru 3: 0 (2: 0)
Stadium: Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza ( Mendoza )
Spectators: 31,278
Goals: 1-0 Dirceu (15th), 2-0 Dirceu (28th), 3-0 Zico (73rd) 11m
-
Poland - Peru 1: 0 (0: 0)
Stadium: Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza ( Mendoza )
Spectators: 35,288
Referee: Partridge ( England )
Goals: 1-0 Szarmach (65.)
-
Argentina - Peru 6: 0 (2: 0)
Stadium: Estadio Gigante de Arroyito ( Rosario )
Spectators: 37,315
Goals: 1-0 Kempes (21st), 2-0 Tarantini (43rd), 3-0 Kempes (46th), 4-0 Luque (50th), 5-0 Houseman (67th), 6-0 Luque (72nd)
In contrast to the first final round, Peru in Group B was, incomprehensibly, only cannon fodder for many observers. 0: 3 against Brazil, 0: 1 against Poland and even 0: 6 against Argentina was the sobering final for the kicker from the Andes. Poland could not match the performance of four years ago and lost in the decisive games against Argentina (0: 2) and Brazil (1: 3). The two favorites of the group parted goalless and the goal difference had to decide. The Peruvians' weak performance against Argentina really had an impact and the Brazilians didn't just talk internally about a 'bought' game. In Ricardo Gotta's book "We Were World Champions", Peruvian national players report calls from their head of state and visits from Videla and US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to their cabin. Defender José Velazquez found it "pretty weird, there was pressure". Goalkeeper Ramón Quiroga, a native of Argentina, had a bad day at 6-0 and later said he was "sure that some people took something. We saw strange things". Years later, Peruvian Senator Genaro Ledesma confessed that Argentina had bought the game.
