I read I think on stuff that Peru are travelling back to Lima straight after the match on Saturday. Obviously they’ll have to go to Auckland first and fuel up but they’ll have an extra day or so to prepare for the return leg.
Flying Welly - Lima direct. No Auckland stopover.
I would have thought that travelling straight after the game on a long haul flight would not be the best thing to do after hopefully a bruising encounter against the All Whites (Even if they are in 1st/business class). Virtually no time for any recovery/treatment for sore bodies etc...Last thing i'd want to do after a hard football game is get on a 15 hour flight!
Also, what is the ideal result for NZ after the first leg to approach the second?
2-0 Win for NZ (clean sheet, I would have thought is a must given its the first leg) Is this a pipe dream?
Or will Hudson tactics be park the bus if we happen to go 1-0 up? (Please no...)
It's a charter flight for Peru. They will have their own physios, doctors etc all on board complete with massage tables etc.
Socceroos were first to do this (that I know of), with playoffs against Uruguay back in 2005. Helps to have Frank Lowry's millions, when need a little extra expense. They claimed it gave them a massive edge for game 2 in Sydney - the poor Uruguayans travelling on a simple commercial flight from Montevideo to Aussie - as AWs will be doing this time in reverse.
That 2nd leg of course went to ET, with Uruguayans virtually walking at the end of 120 mins, but managed to hang on until the penalty shootout.