By Joiner Martínez
The Argentine technical director in charge of the Venezuelan national team, Fernando “Bocha” Batista, warned this Saturday of the importance of keeping “your feet on the ground” after the 2-1 victory achieved in their debut in the Copa América against Ecuador at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
“We won the first game and now comes another complicated one with Mexico. Feet on the ground. On Wednesday we have another final, this is how it is,” Batista said in the press conference after the Santa Clara match.
Batista had some key intuitions at half-time, when Venezuela was losing 0-1 despite playing with one more man. He gave way to Jhonder Cádiz and Eduard Bello, who scored the decisive goals to come back and add the three points.
“Sometimes all coaches try, sometimes it works and today, thank God, it worked. The guys who came in were up to the task. “Sometimes it comes out and sometimes it doesn’t,” he stated.
“Those who are outside are prepared for when it’s their turn. “Ecuador is strong, it has very fast players,” he added.
Batista also warned that a very complicated clash awaits Vinotinto in a demanding environment against Mexico in Los Angeles.
“The three rivals are difficult, for me Mexico has good players and it is going to be a tight match. There is going to be a stadium with a lot of Mexican bias, we have to think about Venezuela and how to prepare for the match,” he said.
Jhonder Cádiz: “We never lower our heads”
The Venezuelan attacker Jhonder Cádiz, author of the equalizing goal for Venezuela, explained that the victory was built with the slogan of not lowering one’s head, nor stopping fighting.
“We know that anyone can score on this team. Today it was my turn and Eduard Bello, but our game showed today that we never lower our heads, nor stop fighting,” he expressed at the end of the first day of Group B of the Copa América, which is completed by the teams of Mexico and Jamaica.
Cádiz and Bello, both 28 years old, came on as a shock to a first half in which Vinotinto lost, despite the fact that Ecuador was playing with ten.
He explained that the instructions of the Argentine coach Fernando Batista consisted of running, tiring the rival, and joining the top scorer of the Venezuelan team, with 41, Salomón Rondón.
“The plan worked, we tired them and without stopping fighting we achieved the objective,” he said.
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