The Venezuelan soccer team remembered old times in the South American qualifiers. They fell 4-2 in Santiago against a Chile that came last and mortgaged the 2026 World Cup dream.
The team led by the Argentine Fernando “bocha” Batista came to this match with the mission of hitting the table. He needed to win to be alone in seventh place, which gives access to the playoffs, but once again victory eluded him in a momentous duel and there are now eight games in a row without victories.
La Vinotinto started impetuously with a Golden Jefferson Savarino at minute 13. The southern team tied and Rubén Ramírez returned the advantage to the visiting team with a great goal at 22′, but from then on the team disappeared from the field and added its fourth defeat of the pre-world championship.
Deflated
The start of the game for Venezuela was a dream. At 13′ they were already leading 1-0 with Savarino’s goal, after a great play by Yeferson Soteldo, who scored the assist.
However, at 20′ the tie came through Eduardo Vargas, who took a shot from the right after only receiving the ball that Lucas Cepeda crossed from the left wing and who walked throughout the Venezuelan area without anyone rejecting him.
La Vinotinto was able to recover from the blow with a great goal from Rubén Ramírez in the 22nd minute. The central defender took a shot that slipped into the corner of goalkeeper Bryan Cortés to make it 2-1 for the visit.
At 29′ a goal against Tomás Rincón returned equality to the scoreboard and ended up displacing Venezuela in the match. Vicente Pizarro reached the end line and gave the pass to Gabriel Suazo so that he could take the shot that the vinotinto captain ended up deflecting.
At 38′ the poor performance of the Venezuelan defense was confirmed with a great goal from Lucas Cepeda. Eduardo Vargas received on the edge of the area and unloaded with his teammate, who hung the ball in the right corner of Rafael Romo’s goal for the 3-2 with which they went to halftime.
At the beginning of the second half, Chile maintained its dynamic in which it took advantage of all the concessions of the Venezuelan team. Cepeda received the ball, drove with time and space to take a shot from outside the area for 4-2 at 47′, which ended up burying the vinotinto hope.
Coach Fernando Batista tried to turn the match around with several modifications, but his attempts were in vain. At 55′ he took out Rincón and brought on Jhon Murillo.
Later in the 71st minute, “bocha” brought out Salomón Rondón, who was disappointing for the second consecutive game, Savarino and Jon Aramburu, who also added a game with negative performance for the second day in a row. Erick Ramírez, Kervin Andrade and Nahuel Ferraresi entered their places, but the damage had already been done.
“Tuti” Andrade was the only one who could generate some danger with a shot from outside the area, which went to the side of Cortés’ goal. At 87′ the strategist made one last modification in which Jhonder Cádiz entered for Miguel Navarro, but it was only decoration.
It is worth noting that at 90+2′ Chile had a goal by Luciano Cabral disallowed for offside.
Lost defense
It is worth remembering that in the triple qualifying round of the current World Cup, defense was Venezuela’s main virtue. In six games, only three goals were allowed (all on the road) and in part that contributed to the nine-point harvest that sowed hope in the fans.
However, the balance in 2024 is quite the opposite. La Vinotinto received 12 points in six games and, added to the attacking problems, the result was that the team saved only three points out of 18 in dispute, leaving them with 12.
The national team will finish 2024 out of qualifying positions (eighth), one point behind seventh place (repechage), held by Bolivia. It should also be noted that a direct pass to the World Cup seems increasingly distant, as Paraguay (sixth) has 17 points.
In March the South American qualifiers resume and Venezuela is obliged to get as many points as possible from the 18 that will be at stake next year, in addition to linking adverse results at least from Bolivia (which has three games pending in its new house, El Alto).
If they manage to maintain the negative streak with Ecuador (in Quito) and Peru (at home), La Vinotinto would be on the verge of another process in which the first senior world championship is just an illusion.
Puerto La Cruz / Javier A. Guaipo
#Vinotinto #remembered #times #fell #Chile #mortgaged #World #Cup #dream
* Who are some of the younger Venezuelan players who could step up and make a difference for the team?
That was a tough loss for Venezuela. Joining me now is football analyst, Alex Reed, to discuss their performance against Chile.
Alex Reed, welcome to the show.
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Alex Reed:** Thanks for having me.
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Host:** Let’s talk about that match. Venezuela started strong, going up 2-1 early, but things unraveled quickly. What happened?
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Alex Reed:** It’s heartbreaking, really. Venezuela came out firing, Savarino’s goal was fantastic, but after that initial burst, they just couldn’t maintain the intensity. It looked like Chile figured out their game plan, and Venezuela’s defense simply fell apart.
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Host:** Four consecutive defeats now, and eight games without a win. What does this say about Venezuela’s World Cup hopes?
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Alex Reed:** It’s bleak, to be honest. This was a crucial match, and they needed a win to stay in contention for that playoff spot. At this point, qualifying directly seems almost impossible.
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Host:** Coach Batista made some substitutions, but nothing seemed to work. What are your thoughts on his tactics and the overall performance of the team?
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Alex Reed:** I think Batista is struggling to find the right combination. Some of the players, like Rondón, just haven’t been performing at their best. There were some bright spots, like Ramirez’s late attempt, but overall the team looked disorganized and lacking confidence.
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Host:** What needs to change for Venezuela to turn things around?
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Alex Reed:** They need to find a way to be more consistent. They need a solid defensive structure and more creativity in the midfield. And most importantly, they need to believe in themselves again.
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Host:** Well, Alex Reed, thank you for your insights. It’s a tough time for Venezuelan football, but hopefully, they can find that spark and get back on track.
