Storyteller:
BAD. RODRÍGUEZ
¡
Good evening MARCA family!!! We have a World Cup at stake. Colombia needs to win today against Venezuela to try to play the playoffs and be in the final phase of the World Cup in Qatar. Reinaldo Rueda’s team does not depend on itself to gain access to the playoffs. They must win and hope that Peru does not do the same against Paraguay.
Inside the National Team there is confidence after beating Bolivia, but there is also awareness of the difficulty involved. He also has to overcome the problem he has when he visits Venezuela. To maintain hope, Colombia must beat José Pékeman’s team in his feud, something that has not happened for more than 25 years. Of the eight games played against the Vinotinto in Venezuelan territory, two were for the locals, they ended in draws and the coffee growers only won once.
The only Colombian victory in Venezuela dates back to December 15, 1996, for the qualifiers for the 1998 World Cup in France. In that match the goals of Iván René Valenciano and Jorge Bermúdez meant the three points.
Venezuela has nothing to do. Pekerman’s men have had no chance of qualifying for Qatar for a long time and, as the coach himself has acknowledged, his goal is to be in the 2026 World Cup. Even so, the latent sporting and political rivalry between the two teams invites a high-tension clash .
