COLOMBIA

está conmigo en Suiza.
-Desde afuera se te vio cómodo...
-Habíamos practicado en esos
tres días, con la confianza que te
dan estás más tranquilo. Pudimos
marcar en una cancha donde nunca
se había marcado y ganar donde
nunca se había ganado.
-¿Quién es tu referente?
-Juan Arango. Lo veo como
un ejemplo, por su seriedad, por su
entrega. En cualquier momento te
puede dar un pase o hacer un gol.
Para nosotros es una persona a seguir,
le debemos mucho. Tomás
Rincón es otro ejemplo, Salomón,
Vizcarrondo... Antes los veías por
televisión y ahora los tienes como
compañeros.
-¿Pateas los tiros libres con
cualquiera de las dos piernas?
-Tengo diferentes maneras.
Cuando termino un entrenamiento
agarro 5 ó 6 pelotas y me quedo.
De derecha, izquierda, siempre
cambio, para que en cualquier momento,
si me queda mal, le pego
con la otra.
-¿Qué te dejó ese paso por
Estudiantes?
-Era la primera vez que iba a
un equipo profesional y es uno de
los grandes. Fue maravilloso ver jugadores
como Verón, cómo trabajaba.
Es un fútbol muy competitivo,
con mucha afición. Después fui
al Caracas y el profesor Bencomo
me hizo debutar en Primera y en
las Copas.
-¿Cómo te resulta jugar en
Suiza?
-Es un torneo muy difícil, de
mucho contacto. Hay que meter el
cuerpo. Aprendí a jugar más rápido,
apenas tienes la pelota ya hay
que saber qué hacer. En el Young
Boys tuve un técnico ganador como
Christian Gross. Nunca me
quitó que jugara como yo sé, me
decía que así como atacaba, tenía
que defender.
Con Alexander González llevan
una vida tranquila en Berna,
salen a comer cuando el frío se los
permite. Se defienden en la cocina,
preparando arepas venezolanas
con harina que consiguen en un
kiosco de comida colombiana.
Comparten el sueño de llegar al
Mundial y la convicción de dar todo
para lograrlo. La pick-up ya está
en marcha hacia la frontera con
Brasil.
Un titular inesperado en Paraguay,
junto a Oswaldo Vizcarrondo,
César González y Roberto Rosales.
“Tenemos que seguir con el paso
que vamos para ir al Mundial”.
An unexpected regular player in
Paraguay, together with Vizcarrondo,
César González and Rosales “We have
to keep on with the same step we are
going to the World Cup”.
In the Alexander Burgo de
Valencia quarters, 175 km west
of Caracas, the children played
barefooted in the street, with balls
they themselves prepared. When
they were 13 or 14 years old,
Alexander Martínez used to take
them in his pick-up to play at the
Carabobo University. In that group
were the Reyes brothers, José
Miguel, at present in Táchira and
José Ramón in Caracas FC.
His son Josef recalls his father
vividly touched, in a list of thanks
without exclusions.
My grandfather José is
Colombian and he played in
Santa Marta; my father was the
goalkeeper of futsal; my uncles
played though they never got to
the professional category. This is
something I carry in my blood.
Six years later, he played in
Switzerland’s Young Boys and was
a regular player of the Red Wine
side. He trained a few months in
Estudiantes de La Plata and made
himself known in Caracas FC. He
was also the captain of the recent
U-20 National Team. He speaks
with a teenager’s emotion and the
maturity he had acquired early. His
gratifying speech became a daring
game in the pitch.
Already in Valencia I played as
a second wing forward. I always
had mobility and I felt just the
same on both bands. I do well with
both legs and that was common
for me from a very early age. I’m
right-handed, but I think I shoot
better with my left hand.
It was thus that he converted a
fabulous goal against Ecuador in
the U-20 South American after
having played among the senior
group. On 11 September, at
Defensores del Chaco Stadium,
they were astonished to see his
name among the regular players of
César Farías.
Before, I had to play in Peru,
though we did not get the result
we wanted. We had to change our
A station-wagon
going to the
World Cup
chip quickly and the surprise was
that I was going to play from the
very beginning. I placed everything
in the hands of God and in all I had
worked for, waiting for that
moment.
What did Farías say?
That day, he told me that I was
going to have the possibility and he
advised me to be quiet, that I had
to begin to visualize what that
match was going to be like.
In my room, I dreamt of what I
was going to do. Luisma Seijas and
César Maestro (teacher) (González)
helped me very much to keep me
tranquil. Juan Arango himself,
Salomón (Rondón), Paky Lucena,
Vizcarrondo that is a true
gentleman, Alexander González,
that is with me in Switzerland.
From outside you were
seen comfortably well…
We had practiced during those
three days, with the tranquility they
give you, you are at ease. We were
able to mark in a pitch in which
nobody had ever marked and to
win where nobody had ever won.
Who is your referral?
Juan Arango. I see him as an
example for his dignity and his
commitment. At any moment
whatsoever, he may give you a
pass or score a goal. For us he is a
person to be followed; we owe
him a lot. Tomás Rincón is another
example, Salomón, Vizcarrondo…
Before, you saw them by TV and
now you have them as teammates.
Do you kick free kicks with
any of both your legs?
I have different ways of doing
it. When I finish training I catch 5
or 6 balls and I stay. From right to
left, I always change, so that at any
moment, if I catch the ball wrongly,
I kick it with the other leg.
What has your passing by
Estudiantes left you?
It was the first time that I was
going to play with a professional
team, and that is one of the most
important. It was wonderful to see
players like Verón, and how he
worked. Football is very
competitive. Afterwards I went to
Caracas and Professor Bencomo
made me debut in First Division
and the Cups.
Are you happy playing in
Switzerland?
It’s a very difficult tournament
with a great contact. You have to
get your body in it. I learnt to play
more quickly. As soon as you get
the ball you must know what to do
with it. In Young Boys, I had a
coach like Christian Gross who was
a winner. He never tried to change
my way of playing, and told me
that just as I attacked, I had to
defend.
With Alexander González they
have a tranquil life in Berna. They
go out to eat when it is not so
cold. They manage to cook
preparing Venezuelan “arepas”
with flour they buy in a kiosk of
Colombian food. They share the
dream of getting to the World Cup
and the conviction that to attain it
they must give everything they
have. The pick-up is already started
towards the frontier with Brazil.
CSF ● 51
MIGUEL VALLENILLA / WWW.GRADADIGITAL.COM