MATURÍN.- Although they drew 1-1 with Argentinathe world champion and two-time American champion, Venezuela He left the direct access positions for the 2026 World Cup for the first time in the South American qualifiers and now loses margin for error.
“Bittersweet” was the word that the Vinotinto coach, Fernando Batista, chose on Thursday to describe his feeling after a match in which his players came close to winning at the Monumental Stadium in Maturín, on a field flooded by the heavy rain that fell in the city.
It could well define the team’s situation as it crosses the halfway point of the calendar, with 9 of 18 dates completed.
The only country that has never qualified for the World Cup had finished last year in fourth place in the table dominated by Argentina, which filled its fans with enthusiasm under a slogan that quickly became popular: ‘Hand, I have faith’. He had been bottom on the road to Russia 2028 and Qatar 2022.
However, after the promising start, Venezuela is losing positions in 2024, while Brazil climbs and direct rivals raise their level: Bolivia is resurrected driven by its decision to change its headquarters from 3,600 meters above sea level of La Paz to 4,150 meters from El Alto, as well as Paraguay presses.
With 11 points, the ‘Bocha’ Batista team occupies seventh place, which entitles them to play in the repechage.
“This is a long road,” stressed the technical director at a press conference. “We are competitive, although we have to improve many things.”
Venezuela will visit Paraguay on Tuesday in Asunción, which has 10 units. If she loses, she would be moved to the eighth step.
“Adding is always important”
“It was a complicated game. We had planned a different type of game, but we had to adapt to the conditions that the field presented (…). We made a great effort, we had more scoring chances than them and we almost missed “We took a victory,” said Vinotinto captain Tomás Rincón, who returned to the title.
“Adding is always important,” added the Brazilian Santos midfielder in statements to the Venezuelan FM Center radio circuit. “We leave happy with the point, although of course we wanted to win. Now we have 48 key hours to recover and think about Paraguay.”
Nicolás Otamendi scored for Argentina in the 13th minute, after a lucky rebound, and Salomón Rondón equalized for Venezuela in the 65th with a header from a center by Yeferson Soteldo.
Rondón reached 45 international goals, increasing his record as Vinotinto’s all-time top scorer.
“We have to give credit to the point. It was a difficult, complicated game, both for them and for us,” said right back Alexander González.
“Personality”
When the pressure increases in the fight for World Cup places, Batista expresses confidence in the “personality” of his team.
“I have a bittersweet taste (…). Coming from behind on the scoreboard, Venezuela ended up being superior, pressing” and “we deserved to win,” said the coach.
“I rescue the personality” of the players from “losing with the Argentine team and then putting it in their own goal,” he concluded.
La Vinotinto recovers to play on Tuesday against Paraguay the left back Miguel Navarro and the midfielder Cristian Cásseres Jr., who served suspension against Argentina due to accumulation of yellow cards. In contrast, he loses another midfielder, José ‘El Brujo’ Martínez, for the same reason.
