[ad_1]
The only coach who drew with Venezuela in Venezuela, in 1996, was fired. The only coach who lost to Venezuela in the Qualifiers, in 2001, too. To say that Reinaldo Rueda will suffer the same fate as Xabier Azkargorta or Pedro García, today it sounds hasty. But the data is there and it is decisive. It has never been forgiven for not beating the llaneros in a World Cup process.
Beyond the form and the background of the game, which was very poor, the 2-1 suffered in Caracas is historic. And humiliating according to the numbers between both teams. That is why the defeat hurts so much, that it ended with Chile outside the qualifying zone. With a stroke of the pen, everything achieved in the Nacional against Peru was erased.
The worst 45 minutes in the Playoffs. That is the summary of the All Team before the break. The only positive thing so far was the point, thanks to Arturo Vidal’s goal. It was the only clear arrival in the first half, although the homeowners intentionally surrendered control of the ball. The statistics were conclusive in that sense, more than 60% in favor of the national squad.
But what is the use of having the ball, if there is no clarity on what to do with it. Chile could not accommodate the entire first fraction. Except for the goal, plotting a collective attack seemed banned. Venezuela, with a much more direct game, and taking advantage of the speed of Machís or the power of Rondón, had the best chances, in addition to the goal scored by Del Pino Mago at 9 ‘. The first of the Vinotinto in this elimination process.
The equality of the King appeared fast (15 ′). Five minutes later, Bravo won a very clear heads up against Machís. The result, it has already been said, was the best before going to dressing rooms. Rueda rightly detected one of the weak points in Pinares. But if it is a disaster, the task of the centrals was terrible. Díaz and especially Maripán, almost always backward, imprecise and weak in the heads up.
Anyway, Rueda punished Pinares. He replaced him with Baeza, reinforced the middle zone and opened Sánchez to the right (in the first half he played behind nine). La Roja was less pressured, but remained very disconnected on offense. Blackberry? A castaway. Meneses? A shadow. Everything depended on some genius of Sánchez or Vidal. Or the drop of Isla, the most incisive in attack.
The improvement was of no use. The doubts followed behind and the inaccuracies were paid dearly. Like the bad pass of Baeza that left the nationals badly stopped in the setback. Or the freedom of Rondón to connect in the center of the area, between pure Creole defenses, to convert the 2-1. Thus ended a terrifying sequence for the National Team, the signing of a disaster.
Pablo Milad, president of the ANFP, said that Chile should go for the six points in this past. Lovers of the calculator, anticipated that four points was the minimum to be satisfied (assuming all three in Venezuela). Neither one nor the other. It was lost and it was lost well. No arguments. The worst game of the Rueda era for the points, at the worst moment.
MATCH SHEET
Venezuela 2: W. Faríñez; A. González, Y. Osorio, W. Ángel, L. Del Pino Mago (90 + 1 ′, O. Conde); J. Moreno, Y. Herrera, C. Cásseres (78 ′, R. Otero); D. Machis (90 + 1 ′, J. Chancellor), S. Rondón, J. Savarino (70 ′, Y. Soteldo). DT: J. Peseiro.
Chile 1: C. Bravo; M. Isla, P. Díaz, G. Maripán, J. Beausejour; A. Vidal, E. Pulgar (89 ′, A. Vilches); C. Pinares (46 ′, C. Baeza), A. Sánchez, J. Meneses; F. Mora (76 ′, C. Palacios). DT: R. Rueda.
Goals: 1-0, 9 ′, Del Pino heads in the small area after pivoting by Herrera; 1-1 ‚15 ‘, Vidal captures the ball after Isla’s center; 2-1 ‚81 ′, Rondón defines the air before the center of Soteldo from the left.
Referee: P. Loustau (ARG). He admonished Del Pino Mago (V); Maripán, Isla (CHI).
Caracas Olympic Stadium. No audience.
