The Venezuelan national team has been hectic since the beginning of its history. They are currently the only team in CONMEBOL who have not qualified for a World Cup. Success in other tournaments has been scarce. They finished fourth in the 2011 Copa América and fifth in the 1967 Copa América. In many cases, they would go through major tournaments without any wins. They only started participating in World Cup qualification in 1966 but they are still looking for more success than they have had for the last sixty years.
In that 2011 fourth-place Copa América finish, they advanced from Group B which also included Brazil, Paraguay, and Ecuador. In their first match, they drew 0-0 with Brazil and then defeated Ecuador 1-0 and drew 3-3 with Paraguay. In the quarter-final, they defeated Chile, who were led by superstars such as Claudio Bravo, Arturo Vidal, and Alexis Sanchez, 2-1. They were then matched up with Paraguay again in the semi-final, where they were tied after 120 minutes but ended up losing 5-3 in penalties, which resulted in their best finish in a Copa América.
Looking to write new history, Fernando Batista will lead the squad as manager. This is Batista’s first time as a manager of a senior team. Previously, he has coached youth squads for Armenia and Argentina. Then, he served as an assistant for the Venezuelan team from 2021 until 2023, which resulted in his promotion to manager. Two key players who will be vital for success will be Jefferson Savarino and Salomon Rondon. Savarino will be seen on the wing or drop into an outside midfielder role. Batista will look for him to create scoring chances. He currently plays at Botafogo in Brazil after a successful stint with Real Salt Lake where he scored fifteen goals in forty-seven appearances. Batista will look for Rondon to be the main scoring threat. He has competed at the highest levels of football and looks to get Venezuela out of the group stage. He has played at large clubs such as Zenit Saint Petersburg, West Bromwich Albion where he appeared in 108 matches, and also Everton. He also has success on the international stage as he has 104 caps for Venezuela and forty-one goals.
Batista hopes to get Venezuela out of the group stage and give Venezuela fans something to cheer for after their history in major tournaments. Anything better than being knocked out in the group stage will be considered a success for this Venezuelan side.
Check out Salomon Rondon's Highlights
Comments