May 8, 2024 at 6:24 p.m.
The Chile Cup It provides unique opportunities, those where David faces Goliath and where, as in the biblical story, David can emerge triumphant.
That happens in the key that Unión Glorias Navales and the Catholic University will star in, valid for the round of 16 of the Central-North Zone. The Viñamarino team defeated Miramar of Coquimbo and won the chance to face the Crusaders in a single match, which will be played at the Sausalito Stadium.
There he plays Samuel Maldonado, 30 years old. A leader of the Gómez Carreño population who arrived at the club two years ago. “It is a super nice institution, very family-oriented. “It represents a population that is stigmatized (the Glorias Navales), but there are good things too, especially in sport, which will always be a healthy activity,” he tells En Cancha, also showing pride when mentioning his son Martín, from just 10 years old, and his goddaughter Aynara, whom he hopes to see in the stands in front of the UC.
Regarding the institution that he defends today, he points out: “It has strong popular roots. About 250 people went to Coquimbo and the 5-hour trip, the cold, nothing mattered. People are very diligent, they go everywhere, at any time, leaving many things aside just to see us.”
-Now the Catholic University, big words. How do you envision that challenge?
-Complicated, but beautiful at the same time. It’s a dream. Since October of last year we have been training very hard and when we knew that we had the opportunity to go to a final match with El Roble, we were very excited because we knew what was coming to us. For us it was revenge, because we had recently lost a final with them and there was that thorn. Playing against Católica will be nice, it is a credit to all my teammates. There is a lot of effort behind it, a lot of cold weather too, because we trained in Mantagua at 9 at night and finished almost at midnight. Amateurism is difficult, but it is nice to get to live these moments.
-And what are the training sessions like?
-Intense. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are more about the gym, working on physical fitness, running, and Thursday is when we already play soccer and prepare plays, in addition to working on different tactics, covering positions, reviewing the variants we have.
-And is there faith?
-Yes, knowing obviously that Católica has an unbalanced team. It is one of the 3 largest teams in Chile and we know that we are going to face a team that is professional in all its aspects, that has a much higher level than us, but that will not prevent us from taking our chances. You have to live the dream. I feel that we have a very good squad, quite long actually, with some footballers who also went through professionalism and have important contacts. We are focused on fighting, winning and raising the profile of our entire population, who deserve it.
-In amateurism there is a little more room to be a fan as well. Do you like any team?
-I am a fan of Colo Colo, but I have a younger brother (Benjamín), who last year was a symbol of the Teletón and he is a fan of Católica, he is a crusader at heart. I remember that from Coquimbo we arrived in Viña around 1 in the morning, and I couldn’t stand it, I had to tell him that we could face UC, the team he loves, and he was very happy. I hope he comes on the court with me, because it is a very nice opportunity for him to meet his idols, his favorite players.
-The atmosphere in Sausalito will be nice…
-Yes, totally, because people are very attached to this club. They are dreaming through us because we know that to be given these opportunities you have to work hard. We will try to give everything to make them happy, because they always support us. If you give us 100% with your encouragement, we have to respond with 200%.
