Vancouver Whitecaps attacker Yordy Reyna has been called up to the Peruvian national team for their final two 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. This is the first time that Reyna has been called up by Peru since 2015.
Yordy Reyna Called Up to Peru Squad for 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Reyna has walked into the squad in Vancouver after injuring his ankle in preseason. Since appearing in the lineup he has had five goals, all game-winners, and three assists in 16 appearances for the Whitecaps.
He has impressed for the Whitecaps and has proven to many that he is exactly what Vancouver needed to take the next step. His ability and his chemistry with the likes of Fredy Montero has proven to be pivotal to the attack of Vancouver.
Reyna will miss the next Whitecaps match on Saturday against the New York Red Bulls because of his call up. He will rejoin the squad in time to play in their October 15th match against the San Jose Earthquakes.
Peru currently sites tied for fourth in CONMEBOL standings with Argentina. Both nations have 24 points and both have a plus-one goal differential. However, Peru owns the tiebreaker due to higher number of goals scored. The Peruvians have two matches remaining in qualifying to secure their spot in the 2018 World Cup.
The top four in the final standings for CONMEBOL automatically qualify for the World Cup. The fifth place team heads into a two-legged qualifying playoff against New Zealand. This could possibly lead to a showdown of Reyna vs Stefan Marinovic, if Peru drops to fifth.
Reyna has made 17 appearances for the Peru senior squad. During this time he has scored two goals for his home country. Before that he made seven appearances for the Peruvian U20 National Team, scoring five goals at that level.
Peru takes on Argentina on October 5th. They then finish off CONMEBOL qualifying against Colombia on October 10th.
