[Sport] "We have not shown anything": the harsh analysis of a former captain of Venezuela

[FNX Magokiler]

Venezuela will host Chile this Tuesday in Caracas, in a match that has always been difficult for Vinotinto in each tie in which it has run into La Roja. It was also suffered by Edson Tortolero, who was the Venezuelan captain in the Qualifiers heading to France 1998. In conversation with AS Chile, he reviewed the keys to the important match to be played in Caracas.

- How do you imagine the meeting will be?

- It will be very difficult, it will be complicated by the attitude that Venezuela has been having. With Brazil we stopped a very defensive system, where we did not show anything. In the previous games it was not what we expected either. We know that against Chile it will be difficult, but to lift we just have to change our attitude and take advantage of the home team.

- Did you like what José Peseiro has shown?
- Not at all. I did not like the attitude of Venezuela. Not only Peseiro is responsible. We have not shown any of the growth we have had previously.

- What must Venezuela change to obtain its first victory in these Qualifiers?
- Simply the attitude, playing better football, both individually and collectively. We know that Chile is complicated, but we are local.

- Do you expect more from players like Yeferson Soteldo?
- Of course, but not only from Soteldo, it is the whole team that has to raise, especially against a country as difficult as Chile has been. All those who wear the national team shirt must have a maximum delivery in order to achieve the result that we all want.

 

 

- Is there anything that worries you about Chile?
- The way they play collectively. You can see a very concentrated Chilean National Team, simple to play.

The tie that took Azkargorta and Zamorano's shirts
Tortolero was a Venezuelan captain for several years of the last decade of the last century and he faced multiple times against the Chilean National Team, particularly in two special moments: the last match of Xabier Azkargorta in command of the Red one after equalizing at 1 in Barinas and also 6-0 at the Estadio Monumental.

- What games do you remember against Chile?
- The one from Barinas, which was tied 1 to 1, was good football. We also met in the Copa América in Paraguay in 1999. It was a great Chilean team. I take this opportunity to send a big hug to Iván Zamorano, with whom we always changed shirts out of friendship and also coincidence, since we were both captains.

- What else do you remember about that draw in Barinas?
- It was a great game, where we put Chile to suffer, they came to draw us at the ninety-odd minute, but great football. it was pretty tough. It was not the idea to embitter both Chile and Azkargorta, with whom, thank God, I graduated as a technician with him. For me personally it is a great memory and that is what remains. Each game is a story.

- That tie was precisely the last of Azkargorta in command of Chile.
- We were interested in winning, not in having Azkargorta removed. We were going to seek victory, we did not expect them to take it out. You do your job. Unfortunately what happened was his departure. Later, in 2007, he came to Venezuela to teach the national coaching course, with which I graduated with him. It was quite an important experience with a technician like him.