Venezuela boss sees Brazil 2014 on horizon
Reuters - Wednesday 16 November 2011, 05:44
Venezuela are
picking up points in the South American qualifiers at a rate
that will surely see them through to their first World Cup
finals in 2014, coach Cesar Farias said on Tuesday.
Venezuela beat Bolivia 1-0 to join Uruguay and Argentina on
seven points in the top places of the South American group
standings they could previously only dream of reaching.
"If Venezuela can maintain this [points] average, we will
surely reach the World Cup," Farias, who has set his heart on
steering his team to the Brazil finals, told reporters.
Central defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo scored the only goal with
a header from a corner in the 25th minute and Venezuela, who
are showing their fourth place at this year's Copa America in
Argentina was no fluke, then hung on under constant if rather
lightweight pressure from Bolivia in a second half downpour.
"We won with some suffering but these are three very
important points," captain Juan Arango, who plays for SV
Hamburg, said.
It was Venezuela's second successive 1-0 win at home after
they upset Argentina last month, their first victory over one
of the giants of the South American game.
Venezuela, where baseball is the most popular game, started
their campaign with a 2-0 defeat by Ecuador in Quito and last
week they picked up their fourth point with a 1-1 draw against
neighbours Colombia in Barranquilla and it is their best start
to the qualifiers.
Venezuela are the only team in the South American Football
Confederation never to have played at the World Cup finals, but
their progress in the last four to five years has brought them
several milestones including a first Copa America quarter-final
when they staged the tournament in 2007 and a first semi-final
this year.