They’ll head to the US among the biggest outsiders in this Copa America, but with an impressive coach in the dugout and a tried-and-tested battering ram up front, Venezuela would be disappointed not to make the quarter-finals…
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The manager
During an unspectacular playing career back in Argentina, Fernando Batista was mainly famous for being the brother of World Cup-winning midfielder Sergio. For a time, it looked like that hierarchy would hold in the coaching world, too: Sergio led Argentina at the Copa America in 2011, while Fernando started his managerial journey in — yes — the Armenia youth ranks.
Cut to 2024, though, and it is the younger Batista who is being hailed as one of the most impressive new managers in South America. He initially joined the Venezuela set-up at the behest of his mentor, Jose Pekerman, who took over as manager in 2021. When Pekerman walked away after a fallout with the federation president last year, Batista stayed on and took the reins.
The continuity option has paid dividends so far. Batista has overseen a strong start to World Cup qualifying — Venezuela sit fourth in the 10-team South American section, with nine points from six matches — and performances against big-name opponents have been especially encouraging: Venezuela held Brazil to a 1-1 draw away from home in October and narrowly lost a friendly against Italy in March.
Batista is no showman. He is a calm, studious man who favours nuance over soundbites and likes to engage the intellect of his players. Tactically, he favours a pragmatic 4-3-3 system, but he readily admits that the major focus of his work with Venezuela will be overcoming the country’s long-standing inferiority complex when it comes to football.
“I once said that Venezuela were their own biggest opponents,” Batista said earlier this year. “You realise you mustn’t look to the past. You have to look ahead. We put in a lot of work on morale, on the mentality and mindset of the Venezuelan player.”
That will be a slow process, of course, but Batista appears to be in it for the long haul. He collaborates closely with the Venezuela youth categories, hoping to smooth the transition to senior level, and has brought a number of players in their early twenties into the squad.
Fernando Batista began his coaching career with Armenia U18s (Doug Murray/Getty Images)The household name you haven’t heard of yet
He is unlikely to be a starter this summer, but Kervin ‘Tuti’ Andrade has the ability to make a big impression if given half an opportunity. Andrade is a little magician of an attacking midfielder, a one-man through-ball workshop who loves to skip past defenders and also takes a mean free kick. He took a move to Brazilian side Fortaleza in his stride last year and is now said to be attracting interest from European clubs.
Whoever ends up signing him will be getting a real talent — and a funny nickname. An uncle used to call him ‘Chucky’ because he was always causing mischief around the house, but Andrade, who was only three or four at the time, couldn’t quite pronounce that and became ‘Tuti’ instead.
Strengths
Defensively, Venezuela are a very secure proposition, as a record of just 15 goals conceded in their last 20 matches attests. There are no star names here — goalkeeper Rafael Romo is likely to play behind a back four of Alexander Gonzalez, Wilker Angel, Yordan Osorio and Miguel Navarro — but these players have built up a good understanding thanks to consistent team selection over the past year especially. The physicality of Angel and Osorio in particular makes them tough opponents, and there is also the protection offered by a midfield that majors in hard work rather than creativity.
Weaknesses
It’s lucky Venezuela are strong at the back, because they rarely blow anyone away at the other end of the pitch. Yes, they have Salomon Rondon, a reliable scorer for his country over the years and arriving in the US fresh from an excellent campaign with Pachuca in Mexico. Even at 34, he remains a handy battering ram.
The problem is the supporting cast. Josef Martinez, Venezuela’s other top-line striker, failed to recover from injury in time to make the squad. Back-up forwards Eric Ramirez and Jhonder Cadiz have one international goal between them. Left winger Yeferson Soteldo is great fun but doesn’t score enough; Darwin Machis does, but only played 90 minutes for his club twice last season. Throw in a lack of firepower arriving from midfield and you can understand why Venezuela can be pretty easy for the better sides to manage.
Salomon Rondon played in the Premier League for West Brom, Newcastle and Everton (Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images)Thing you didn’t know
There are diminutive wingers and then there is Soteldo, the only footballer at the Copa America who could feasibly sleep in a sardine tin. Predictably, his size has been the source of plenty of fraternal ribbing over the years. Case in point: during his spell at Santos in Brazil, 5ft 3in Soteldo went to the club canteen for lunch and found that his team-mates had reserved a seat for him. Nice gesture, right? Not quite: it was a baby’s high chair.
Expectations back home
One glance at Venezuela’s record at big tournaments — precisely zero World Cup appearances and just eight wins in 70 matches at the Copa America — may be enough to make you write them off as no-hopers. Look a little closer, though, and you will see that they have actually been pretty solid since 2007, when they hosted the tournament and reached the quarter-finals. They have made it out of the group three further times since, gradually dragging expectation levels up.
This year, the mood is one of restrained optimism. No one thinks this is a world-beating team but progress under Batista has been encouraging, and news of Group B opponents Mexico’s experimental squad selection was an unexpected boost. Having avoided Brazil and Argentina, Venezuela would be disappointed not to make the quarter-finals.
Venezuela’s Copa America squad (provisional)
Goalkeepers: Rafael Romo (Universidad Catolica), Alain Baroja (Always Ready), Joel Graterol (America de Cali), Jose Contreras (Aguilas Doradas).
Defenders: Alexander Gonzalez (Emelec), Jhon Chancellor (Metropolitanos), Wilker Angel (Criciuma), Yordan Osorio (Parma), Nahuel Ferraresi (São Paulo), Miguel Navarro (Talleres), Christian Makoun (Anorthosis Famagusta), Jon Aramburu (Real Sociedad), Carlos Vivas (Deportivo Tachira).
Midfielders: Tomas Rincon (Santos), Darwin Machis (Cadiz), Jhon Murillo (Atlas), Yeferson Soteldo (Gremio), Jefferson Savarino (Botafogo), Yangel Herrera (Girona), Cristian Casseres Jr. (Toulouse), Jose Andres Martinez (Philadelphia Union), Eduard Bello (Mazatlan), Samuel Sosa (Queretaro), Daniel Pereira (Austin FC), Telasco Segovia (Casa Pia), Kervin Andrade (Fortaleza), Matias Lacava (Vizela).
Forwards: Salomon Rondon (Pachuca), Eric Ramirez (Atletico Nacional), Jhonder Cadiz (Famalicao).
(Artwork: John Bradford. Photos: Getty; Edilzon Gamez, Daniel Apuy)
Source link : https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5542100/2024/06/14/venezuela-copa-america-2024-squad-guide/
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Publish date : 2024-06-14 07:45:53
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