In the next few days La Roja will begin to play a new Copa América. The Everybody’s Team will return to the United States, where they managed to lift the Copa América Centenario after beating Argentina in penalty kicks, just as had happened a year before in Chile.
One of the players who made up that squad was José Pedro Fuenzalida. The former Universidad Católica soccer player recalled in the “Golden Generation” program on Channel 13 the penalty that Alexis Sánchez took in the 2015 final.What Alexis did, biting her… I think I wouldn’t have been able to take a step to kick that penalty, and he bit her”, he commented.
Where he added the most minutes was in the 2016 tournament, being part of the 7-0 win over Mexico. “It is one of the most complete matches that has ever been played, because that day we scored almost all the possible goals,” he said.
“The best thing you can do is play the game as if it were 0-0, playing it as if you were winning is disrespecting the other team.”he added.
Already referring to the final with Argentina, Chapa stated that “Thank goodness he had already left and couldn’t kick. I didn’t kick penalties 10 years ago”.
Another of the topics he touched on was the disappointment of not having obtained a ticket to play in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. “It would have been nice to see that team in Russia, we should have been. I think that the big issue that made us not go to Russia was that the next qualifying date caught many players in the process of changing teams, of inactivity, due to vacations. That may have affected when we lost against Paraguay, we shouldn’t have lost”, he noted.
Already thinking about the next tournament, he had words for the members of the Golden Generation who are still active and who could say they were present in this continental tournament. “Today’s players are in the position to support and integrate new players. They are the history and they know that the present and the future are these new players.”
“They are enjoying the last stage in the National Team, this Copa América is the last thing that remains. That’s why I would like you to enjoy this Copa América and, why not, dream of being champions and leaving this new crop of players well projected.”, he closed on the topic.
For now, Chile must prepare to face its next preparatory match for the United States Copa América against Paraguay, which will be played this Tuesday at the National Stadium starting at 8:00 p.m.
This will be the third match that Ricardo Gareca will lead with La Roja after having played other friendly duels in March, where he recorded a victory against Albania (3-0) and a defeat against France (3-2). La Albirroja, meanwhile, has just faced a match against Peru in Lima, where they tied without goals.
It should be remembered that Chile is part of Group A, where it will seek qualification against Argentina, Peru and Canada. Paraguay, meanwhile, is in Group D with Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica.
