Venezuela national football team
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For current information on this topic, see Venezuela fixtures and results. |
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| Nickname(s) | La Vinotinto (The Burgundy) |
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| Association | Federación Venezolana de Fútbol |
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| Confederation | CONMEBOL (South America) | ||
| Head coach |  César Farías |
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| Captain | Juan Arango | ||
| Most caps | José Manuel Rey (108) | ||
| Top scorer | Giancarlo Maldonado (17) | ||
| Home stadium | Estadio José Antonio Anzoátegui, Polideportivo Cachamay | ||
| FIFA code | VEN | ||
| FIFA ranking | 54 | ||
| Highest FIFA ranking | 48 (April 2004) | ||
| Lowest FIFA ranking | 129 (November 1998) | ||
| Elo ranking | 45 | ||
| Highest Elo ranking | 38 (April 2004) | ||
| Lowest Elo ranking | 127 (1993, 1995, 1999) | ||
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| First international | |||
 Panama 3 - 1 Venezuela  (Panama City, Panama; 12 February 1938) |
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| Biggest win | |||
Venezuela 6 - 0 Puerto Rico  (Barranquilla, Colombia; 26 December 1946) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||
 Argentina 11 - 0 Venezuela (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 10 August 1975) |
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| Copa América | |||
| Appearances | 14 (First in 1967) | ||
| Best result | 5º 1967 | ||
The Venezuela National Football Team is the national football team of Venezuela and is controlled by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol. It is nicknamed 'La Vinotinto' (The Burgundy), because of the traditional burgundy color of their shirts.
Venezuela is the only national team in CONMEBOL which has never qualified for a World Cup. Often Venezuela would go through entire qualification tournaments without recording a single win, although this has changed in the last two qualifying rounds. Their best finish in Copa América was fifth in their first entry, in 1967.
When playing at home in official games they usually rotate between two stadiums: the Estadio Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo, in San Cristóbal; the Estadio José Encarnación "Pachencho" Romero, in Maracaibo. In friendly matches they tend to rotate between the rest of the stadiums in the country.
The Unofficial Football World Championship, and the related Nasazzi's baton title, was briefly held by Venezuela in 2006.
Unlike other South American nations, baseball is extremely popular in Venezuela, which diverts athletic talent away from football, contributing to its historic lack of success in CONMEBOL competitions. It is only recently with the spread of the World Cup's popularity in nations where football was not the primary sport (Japan, the United States, Australia, etc.) that the national team found incentives to increase player development and fan support.
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[edit] History
[edit] World Cup
Venezuela did not participate in World Cup qualifying until the 1966 qualifiers in which they were drawn with Uruguay and Peru, but failed to register a point in four games. In the 1970 qualifiers they managed to register a point, and after withdrawing from the 1974 series, repeated that in the 1978 qualifiers. The 1982 qualifiers saw them register their first win, over Bolivia. They wouldn't register another World Cup qualifying win until the 1994 series when they defeated Ecuador. A highlight of the 1998 qualifiers was goalkeeper Rafael Dudamel scoring against Argentina in a 5-2 defeat.
The 2002 and 2006 qualifiers have seen a tremendous improvement in Venezuela's fortunes, and they are now regarded as a competitive team. They started the 2010 qualifying round by historically beating Ecuador in Quito where the Ecuadorians had previously held a long unbeaten record.
Despite poor results during the 60s and 70s, outstanding players like Luis Mendoza and Rafael Santana achieved recognition.
[edit] Copa America
Venezuela first participated in the Copas America in 1967, and finished 5th after defeating Bolivia 3-0 with a side containing Mendoza and Santana. The 1975 tournament saw Venezuela drawn in a group with Brazil and Argentina, and finished bottom with an 11-0 defeat to Argentina. In the 1979 edition, which would be the international swansong for Mendoza and Santana, they drew 0-0 with Colombia and 1-1 with Chile. A highlight of the 1989 tournament was midfielder Carlos Maldonado's 4 goals. In the 1993 series, Venezuela drew with Uruguay and the United States.
The team's overall Copa América record has been pretty poor, but the "Auge Vinotinto" (Vinotinto Rise) period in the early 2000s brought increased attention to the sport in the country, which in turn brought increased support from both government and private institutions. Said support contributed greatly to the "Vinotinto's" rise in quality. In 2007, during the Copa América held in Venezuela, the team progressed to the quarterfinals for the first time in its history after finishing first in a group containing Peru, Bolivia and Uruguay. Venezuela's 2-0 victory over Perú during the competition was its first Copa América victory since 1967.
In June 6, 2008, Venezuela achieved its first-ever triumph over Brazil, winning the Seleção with a 2-0 score in a friendly match in Boston, USA.
[edit] Current team status
Venezuela is currently participating in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
[edit] 2010 FIFA World Cup
Qualification Standings
Notes on the tie-breaking situation:
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[edit] Recent, last and next games
- Recent games: see Venezuela national team 2008–09 results.
- Last game: Venezuela 2 – 2 Uruguay
- Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela - June 10, 2009 - WCQ2010. - Next game: TBA
KEY: F = Friendly match; WCQ2010 = 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
[edit] Current Team
Below is the squad that will play for the friendly against Mexico on June 24, 2009.
[edit] Recent Call Ups
The following players have also been called up to the Venezuela squad.
- Goalkeepers
| Name | Date of birth | Club | Caps (goals) | Most Recent Call up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javier Toyo | October 12, 1977 | Caracas FC |
8 (0) | v. Colombia, 30 April 2008 |
| Leonardo Morales | July 21, 1978 | Deportivo Anzoátegui |
9 (0) | v. Colombia, 20 November 2007 |
| Renny Vega | July 4, 1979 | Caracas FC |
38 (0) | v. Uruguay, 10 June 2009 |
- Defenders
| Name | Date of birth | Club | Caps (goals) | Most Recent Call up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Fuenmayor | April 19, 1979 |  Vålerenga |
16 (0) | v. Uruguay, 10 June 2009 |
| José Luis Granados | October 22, 1986 | Deportivo Tachira |
4 (0) | v. Clolombia, 30 April 2008 |
| José Manuel Rey | May 20, 1975 | Caracas FC |
94 (9) | v. Uruguay, 10 June 2009 |
| Joséma Velásquez | September 8, 1990 | Deportivo Anzoátegui |
7 (1) | v. Uruguay, 10 June 2009 |
| Oswaldo Vizcarrondo | May 31, 1984 |  Club Olimpia |
12 (0) | v. Colombia, 30 April 2008 |
| José González | July 21, 1971 | Deportivo Tachira |
? (?) | v. El Salvador, 23 March 2008 |
| Leonardo González | July 14, 1972 | Trujillanos FC |
? (?) | v. El Salvador, 23 March 2008 |
| Enrique Andrés Rouga | March 2, 1982 |  AEL Limassol |
20 (0) | v. Haiti, 6 February 2008 |
| Dickson Díaz | March 4, 1980 | Minerven FC |
? (?) | v. Haiti, 3 February 2008 |
| Edder Pérez | July 3, 1983 | Caracas FC |
24 (4) | v. Bolivia, 20 November 2007 |
| Alejandro Cichero | April 20, 1977 |  Shandong Luneng |
47 (2) | v. Bolivia, 20 November 2007 |
| Luis José Vallenilla | March 13, 1974 | Atlético Mineros de Guayana |
77 (1) | v. Colombia, 17 November 2007 |
| Roberto Rosales | November 20, 1988 |  KAA Gent |
10 (0) | v. Colombia, 31 March 2009 |
- Midfielders
| Name | Date of birth | Club | Caps (goals) | Most Recent Call up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Arango | May 16, 1980 |  RCD Mallorca |
83 (17) | v. Uruguay, 10 June 2009 |
| Carlos Fernández | September 1, 1990 | Deportivo Anzoátegui |
2 (0) | v. Bolivia, 26 March 2008 |
| César Eduardo González | October 1, 1982 | Club Atlético Huracán |
24 (1) | v. Uruguay, 10 June 2009 |
| Franklin Lucena | February 20, 1981 | Caracas FC |
14 (1) | v. Uruguay, 10 June 2009 |
| Luis Vargas | June 25, 1987 | Mineros de Guayana |
1 (0) | v. El Salvador, 23 March 2008 |
| Edgar Pérez Greco | February 16, 1982 | Deportivo Tachira |
? (?) | v. El Salvador, 23 March 2008 |
| Edgar Jiménez | October 19, 1984 | Caracas FC |
? (?) | v. Haiti, 3 February 2008 |
| Ricardo David Páez | February 9, 1979 |  Cesar Vallejo |
64 (7) | v. Bolivia, 20 November 2007 |
| Alejandro Guerra | July 9, 1985 | Caracas FC |
23 (3) | v. Bolivia, 20 November 2007 |
| Luis Vera | March 9, 1973 | Caracas FC |
53 (2) | v. Bolivia, 20 November 2007 |
| Héctor González | November 4, 1977 |  Chernomorets Burgas |
53 (4) | v. Ecuador, 13 October 2007 |
| Ronald Vargas | December 2, 1986 | Club Brugge |
9 (2) | v. Ecuador, 15 November 2008 |
- Strikers
| Name | Date of birth | Club | Caps (goals) | Most Recent Call up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cristian Cásseres | June 29, 1977 | Deportivo Italia |
? (?) | v. Bolivia, 26 March 2008 |
| Ángel Chourio | May 4, 1985 | Unión Atlético Maracaibo |
1 (0) | v. El Salvador, 23 March 2008 |
| Juan Falcon | February 24, 1989 | Llaneros FC |
1 (0) | v. El Salvador, 23 March 2008 |
| Armando Maita | August 26, 1981 | Monagas Sport Club |
? (?) | v. Haiti, 6 February 2008 |
| Emilio Rentería | October 9, 1984 | Caracas FC |
16 (9) | v. Haiti, 3 February 2008 |
| Heiber Díaz | November 10, 1984 | Unión Atlético Maracaibo |
? (?) | v. Paraguay, 8 September 2007 |
[edit] Competitive record
[edit] World Cup record
- 1930 to 1954 - Did not enter
- 1958 - Withdrew
- 1962 - Did not enter
- 1966 - Did not qualify
- 1970 - Did not qualify
- 1974 - Withdrew
- 1978 to 2006 - Did not qualify
[edit] Copa América record
- 1916 to 1963 - Did not enter
- 1967 - 5º
- 1975 - Round 1
- 1979 - Round 1
- 1983 - Round 1
- 1987 - Round 1
- 1989 - Round 1
- 1991 - Round 1
- 1993 - Round 1 (overall 11th place)
- 1995 - Round 1 (overall 12th place)
- 1997 - Round 1 (overall 12th place)
- 1999 - Round 1 (overall 12th place)
- 2001 - Round 1 (overall 12th place)
- 2004 - Round 1 (overall 11th place)
- 2007 - Quarterfinals (overall 6th place)
[edit] Pan American Games record
- 1951 - Fourth place
- 1955 - Fourth place
- 1959 to 1979 - Did not compete
- 1983 - Round 1
- 1987 to 2003 - Did not compete
[edit] Head to head
[edit] Most Venezuela caps
| Player | National team career | Caps (Goals) |
|---|---|---|
| José Manuel Rey | 1997-present | 91 (8) |
| Jorge Alberto Rojas | 1999-present | 85 (1) |
| Gabriel Urdaneta | 1996-2005 | 77 (9) |
| Luis José Vallenilla | 1996-2007 | 77 (1) |
| Miguel Ángel Mea Vitali | 1999-present | 71 (1) |
| Juan Arango | 1999-present | 70 (13) |
| Ruberth Morán | 1996-present | 65 (14) |
| Leopoldo Jiménez | 1999-2005 | 64 (0) |
| Ricardo David Páez | 2000-2007 | 64 (7) |
| Rafael Dudamel | 1993-2007 | 56 (1) |
| Héctor González | 2001-2007 | 53 (4) |
[edit] Top Venezuela goalscorers
| Player | National team career | Goals (Caps) |
|---|---|---|
| Ruberth Morán | 1996-2007 | 14 (65) |
| Juan Arango | 1999-present | 13 (70) |
| Giancarlo Maldonado | 2003-present | 13 (33) |
| Gabriel Urdaneta | 1996-2005 | 9 (77) |
| José Manuel Rey | 1997-present | 8 (99) |
| Daniel Arismendi | 2006-present | 8 (15) |
| Juan Garcia | 1993-2004 | 7 (47) |
| Ricardo David Páez | 2000-present | 7 (64) |
| José Luis Dolgetta | 1993-1997 | 6 (21) |
[edit] External links
- (Spanish) Federacion Venezolana De Fútbol The Venezuelan soccer federation website.
- (Spanish) La Vinotinto - The last news about Venezuelan professional soccer and more.
- (Spanish) Vinotintos en el exterior The last news about Venezuelan players abroad.
- Venezuela - Record International Players (at RSSSF)
- (Spanish) ForoVinotinto The Unofficial Forum.
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