Raúl Ruidíaz called up for pair of September friendlies

Raúl Ruidíaz’s place in the Peru national team appears to be secure, at least for now. The Seattle Sounders forward was among the 24 players called into Peru’s upcoming friendlies against the Netherlands and Germany on Sept. 6 and 9. The Sounders host Sporting Kansas City on Sept. 1 and visit the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sept. 15, meaning Ruidíaz shouldn’t have to miss any league matches.

Ruidíaz is one of three MLS players to be named to the roster, joining the Timbers’ Andy Polo and Orlando City SC’s Yoshimar Yotún.

Ruidíaz will likely be in line for some decent playing time as well. Joining Ruidíaz on the roster are forwards Jefferson Farfán and Ray Sandoval. Farfán is by far the most experienced of the bunch with 86 caps and 25 goals, but he’s also 33 and unlikely to be a major part of the program by the time the next World Cup rolls around. Sandoval is 23 and has not yet earned a senior national team cap. Ruidíaz, meanwhile, offers manager Ricardo Gareca a middle ground with 31 caps and is a decent bet to be leading the line in 2022.