Reinaldo Rueda, on Venezuela: “It is an assessment of whether we have anything to go to the world cup”

Relying on other results on the final day of the South American Qualifiers to qualify for the Football World Cup is an unwanted scenario for anyone, and yet, once you are inside it, you just have to assume it. This was stated in Reinaldo Rueda, coach of the Colombia national team, in the face of the match against Venezuela: in addition to winning, the team will have to hope that Peru does not beat Paraguay.

At a press conference with two days to go before the crucial qualifying date, Rueda gave his comments at a press conference. Who would replace Juan Guillermo Cuadrado in the starting lineup, the difficulty of facing a Venezuela led by José Néstor Pekerman and how to face the pressure of the Peru vs. Paraguay, among his statements. Here are some of them:

Despite the 3-0 victory over Bolivia at the Roberto Meléndez Stadium (Barranquilla), the atmosphere in the national team is not the best. That is, it is not that it is bad, but it is of uncertainty: even if it beats La Vinotinto, staying with the repechage towards Qatar will depend on the game that those led by Tigre Gareca will play simultaneously.

“Every match has a very high demand. We arrived at an instance that we would not have wanted, these are difficult hours, of anxiety and a lot of emotional charge. We have to know how to assimilate and reuse them to get the best out of us to guide the team. We need to focus on what's ours. Shielding ourselves from secondary results, which will finally give us the step to the aspiration that we have. You don't want to be worried or to be informing the players, you have to focus on a very demanding game.”

Although Venezuela is already eliminated from the qualifiers, it is no secret to anyone that every player plays with Colombia leaves their soul on the court, and now, who may be the one who will be the one who throws the party in mind of Qatar, she has an extra mood: having Pekerman as a DT. Well, Rueda claims to take on the match out of respect for the rival and as an evaluation.

“It has always been a super difficult match, very intense. First, for all the evolution of Venezuelan football, they have always made excellent games, what Richard Páez sowed and what Dudamel did. It is up to us to do our thing, aware that we have a rival of respect at the front. Venezuela will have the support of its fans and now with the work of José Pékerman it is an evaluation for us, if we have anything to go to the world cup. He is a rival who is going to demand from us and will show the character and maturity of our team.”

After breaking the streak of seven matches without scoring a goal and four without winning at the Metropolitan Stadium, the tricolor team seems to be finally consolidating a starting roster, although with some players who may not be valid in the next world cup cycle. According to the minister, he would hold mostly the initialists against Venezuela last Thursday against Bolivia.

“Undoubtedly, given the good behavior of the great majority against Bolivia, these behaviors must be consolidated, aware that it is another game, another rival and other conditions. I will make as little change as possible. We must take advantage of what has been won and make the corresponding adjustments to allow us to play a game against Venezuela. To replace Cuadrado, we have been working on both alternatives, be it the case of Wílmar Barrios, Mateus Uribe or Jefferson Lerma himself.”

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