INGLEWOOD, California, USA (AP) — A little more than a year ago, the Venezuelan soccer leaders decided to change the direction and replaced the experienced Argentine coach José Pekerman with his compatriot Fernando Batista, who had achieved good results with the U23 team.
The change has paid dividends in a good start to the qualifiers for the 2025 World Cup and now in the Copa América.
With “Bocha” Batista at the helm, Venezuela is enjoying the first victory in its history against Mexico, beating them 1-0 on Wednesday night. The victory ensured their place in the quarterfinals of the continental tournament with one game remaining in the first round.
“We are happy to bring joy to the Venezuelan people, we try to play for that, but we have to be calm and with our feet on the ground, we have to continue with humility and work,” said Batista, who was Pekerman’s assistant. “Today we enjoyed it, but tomorrow we are thinking about Jamaica.”
Since his arrival on the bench in March of last year, after winning a gold medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, Batista has led the Vinotinto team in 14 matches, losing a qualifying match against Colombia and a friendly against Italy.
His campaign in the United States has been dominated by veteran striker Salomón Rondón, the poise of goalkeeper Rafael Romo, the mobility of Jeferson Soteldo with the ball and the boldness of Eduard Bello in attack. Rondón scored a penalty to beat Mexico and participated in the goals scored by Bello and Jhonder Cádiz to beat Ecuador 2-1 in the debut.
Batista did not take time to celebrate the good results. For now, he wants his team not to be distracted and secure first place in Group B when he faces Jamaica next Sunday in Austin, Texas.
“When you win you have to enjoy it because the path of this is a bit hard, but internally you have to change your chip because Sunday is another final of the ones we set out to do in the tournament,” added the coach.
Venezuela advanced to the quarterfinals of a Copa América for the third time in its last four participations. In between, only in Brazil 2021 was he left out in the first round.
“We go about our business, we try to seal what is outside, for us it is complicated because of social networks, but we try to make the internal message positive,” said Rondón. “We have been achieving positive things, but we have to land because Jamaica continues.”
If Vinotinto achieves a draw or victory against the Jamaicans next Sunday, they will tie the top of Group B and a crossing with the second place in A, which for now belongs to Canada. If they lose and Mexico or Ecuador win their match by a landslide, they could give up the lead and their clash would be against the favorite Argentina.
“Tomorrow we will train after the medical staff tells us how each player is, we won and qualified, but we cannot relax,” Batista added. “The players know that I don’t like to relax beyond being classified.”
Venezuela’s best historical result in a Copa América is the fourth place it achieved in Argentina 2011.
