“It does not matter where you are born, nor where you die, but where you fight”, this famous phrase by Simón Bolívar stuck in the memory of Rafael Édgar Dudamel Ochoa, who at 51 years old became the architect of Atlético’s brilliant campaign Bucaramanga, a team that after 75 years kept alive the dream of being champion of Colombian professional soccer.
The former soccer player, who was born on January 7, 1973 in San Felipe, Venezuela, arrived in the ‘Ciudad Bonita’ in the month of December 2023 amid more doubts than certainties, with the objectives of removing the ‘auriverde’ club from a crisis of poor results, which deprived them of the possibility of playing in a semi-final for two years, and of building a squad to which, at that time, the loss of 16 players was added.
Strong in his conviction with the faith of dreaming alongside the managers and fans of a city, he launched his work plan, which was joined by players like Aldair Quintana and Fabián Sambueza, who were discarded by their former teams.
Tactical, methodical, orderly and disciplined, the Venezuelan strategist defined the playing style of his pupils with the 5-2-2-1 scheme, which established the team as the least beaten hurdle (10 scores against) in the round-robin.
However, his speech became his main tool, the one that allowed the athletes to recognize their importance in the dressing room and enjoy their roles, making them feel valued and important without taking into account the minutes on the field of play.
Furthermore, his people skills also marked the difference of a coach who from the beginning of the season saw himself at the top of Colombian football, with a club that surprised more than one and that fought until the last minute to claim champion.
Teamwork with Marcos Mathias
The second in command in the decisions of the Venezuelan helmsman is a former soccer player trained as a coach.
Marcos Mathias was born on May 12, 1970 in Maracay, Aragua, Venezuela and at 54 years old he has established himself as one of Rafael Dudamel’s trusted men, with whom he had already worked on previous occasions.
During his time as an athlete he played 19 games with the ‘Vinotinto’ team between 1993 and 1997.
Physical preparation by Joseph Cañas
With 10 years of experience in minor categories and different international experiences, Joseph Cañas was in charge of directing the team’s physical preparation. The coach is described as a “professional” who helps “grassroots soccer coaches become game managers.” high performance”, in one of its virtual platforms.
The sports instructor was part of the Venezuelan under-17 team that participated in the World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2013, as well as the under-20 team that competed in the World Cup and was runner-up in South Korea 2017. Likewise way, he attended a South American under-17 and two under-20, two Copa Américas and the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers in Russia.
Rodrigo Piñón, another of the keys to the ‘Leopardo’ team
Born on May 18, 1981 in Caracas, Venezuela, Rodrigo Piñón is a club and national soccer coach and analyst; He is also a professional in Anthropology applied to sports.
With important steps in several Venezuelan soccer clubs such as Trujillanos FC or Carabobo FC, Piñón has also become one of Rafael Dudamel’s right-hand men, with whom he has worked for years.
