Venezuela national football team

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Venezuela
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname La Vinotinto
(the burgundy)
Association Federación Venezolana
de Fútbol
Head coach Richard Páez
Most caps Gabriel Urdaneta (69)
Top scorer Ruberth Morán (15)
FIFA code VEN
FIFA ranking 73
Highest FIFA ranking 48 (April 2004)
Lowest FIFA ranking 129 (November 1998)
Elo ranking 59
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Home kit
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Away kit
First international
Panama Panama 3 - 1 Venezuela Venezuela
(Panama City, Panama; 12 February 1938)
Largest win
Venezuela Venezuela 6 - 0 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico
(Barranquilla, Colombia; 26 December 1946)
Worst defeat
Argentina Argentina 11 - 0 Venezuela Venezuela
(Buenos Aires, Argentina; 10 August 1975)
Copa América
Appearances 13 (First in 1967)
Best result Fifth place, 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 Red Wine One), because of the traditional burgundy color of their shirts.

It is historically and statistically the weakest of the 10 CONMEBOL teams (perhaps due to the enormous popularity of baseball in the country), and the only one 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. The team itself has improved a lot in recent years. Analysts tend to say that Venezuela has a chance of qualifying for the next World Cup but that the team has a lot to learn yet. Juan Arango is considered to be the best player in the current team, and gives a lot of support to his team mates.

When playing at home they usually rotate between three stadiums: the Estadio Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo, in San Cristóbal; the Estadio José Encarnación "Pachencho" Romero, in Maracaibo, and the Estadio Olímpico, in Caracas.

National companies such as Empresas Polar and Telephone suppliers CANTV have been giving a lot of financial aid to the team and to the sport itself. The government is not very keen on financing these kind of activities. Nevertheless, Venezuela is set to be the host of the Copa América 2007, thus becoming the last country in South America to host this competition.

The Unofficial Football World Championship, and the related Nasazzi's baton title, was briefly held by Venezuela in 2006.

Contents

[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.

Despite poor results during the 60s and 70s, outstanding players like Luis Mendoza and Rafael Santana achieved renown.

[edit] Copa America

Venezuela first participated in the Copa 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 series, 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. Whilst they have yet to make the later stages of the tournament, the improvement made in recent years means that this is achievable in future tournaments.

[edit] World Cup record

[edit] Copa América record

[edit] Most Venezuela caps

Player National team career Caps (Goals)
Gabriel Urdaneta 1996-present 77 (9)
José Manuel Rey 1997-present 71 (6)
Leopoldo Jiménez 1999-present 64 (0)
Luis José Vallenilla 1996-present 61 (1)
Ruberth Morán 1996-present 62 (15)
Rafael Dudamel 1993-present 54 (1)
Jorge Alberto Rojas 1999-present 57 (1)
Juan Arango 1999-present 54 (11)
Juan García 1993-2004 47 (7)
Miguel Ángel Mea Vitali 1999-present 50 (1)

[edit] Top Venezuela goalscorers

Player National team career Goals (Caps)
Ruberth Morán 1996-present 15 (62)
Juan Arango 1999-present 11 (54)
Gabriel Urdaneta 1996-present 9 (77)
Juan García 1993-2004 7 (47)
José Luis Dolgetta 1993-1997 6 (21)
José Manuel Rey 1997-present 6 (71)
Rafael Castellín 1996-present 5 (22)
Pedro Febles 1979-1989 5 (25)
Daniel Noriega 1996-present 5 (38)
Ricardo David Páez 2000-present 5 (49)

[edit] Selected famous players

[edit] External links

International football
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FIFA | World Cup | U-20 World Cup | U-17 World Cup | Olympics | Kirin Cup | Asiad | Africand | PASO | Lusophony Games | Mediterranean Games | Jeux de la Francophonie | UNCAF National Cup | CFU Caribbean Cup | Confederations Cup | World Rankings | Player of the Year | Teams

     Asia: AFCAsian Cup
     Africa: CAFAfrican Cup of Nations
     North America: CONCACAFGold Cup
     South America: CONMEBOLCopa América
     Oceania: OFCNations Cup
     Europe: UEFAEuropean Championship
     Non-members of FIFA: NFBVIVA World Cup
National football teams of South America (CONMEBOL)
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Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | Paraguay | Peru | Uruguay | Venezuela