Overview
- Peru’s 2022 World Cup playoff against Australia ended 0-0 and 5-4 on penalties, with Alex Valera missing the decisive kick against goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne.
- Miguel Trauco says teammates had only named the first five takers and that a quick on-field discussion preceded the final attempt.
- According to Trauco, Carlos Zambrano first said he would take a sixth penalty but then told Christofer Gonzales or Trauco to step up before Valera said, “I’ll go.”
- Trauco calls the episode a lasting regret and says it changed his approach, vowing not to pass off penalty responsibility and citing a later instance where he insisted on taking one against Boca.
- He characterizes shootouts as largely down to luck, describing them as “a coin in the air,” with his remarks reported by La República and El Comercio from an interview on El VAR con Olcese.