This Uruguay Marcelo Bielsa added another 0-0, this time against Venezuela away to Maturín. The result could have been worse, but goalkeeper Sergio Rochet prevented the Vinotinto from winning. For the Charrúas, this is the fourth of the last five games played that remains in dry dock. Against Brazil and Colombia in the Copa América, and now, against Paraguay and Venezuela in the resumption of the South American Qualifiers.
It rained a lot during the 90 minutes in Maturín, in front of a stadium packed with more than 50 thousand fans who arrived hoping for victory. The Celeste did not have, among others, Darwin Nuñez, Ronald Araújo, Fede Valverde, Josema Giménez, Mathías Olivera, Matías Viña, Nico de la Cruz, Rodrigo Bentancur, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Naithan Nández. Too many absences. Impossible to hide.
To make matters worse, the only central defender with relative experience in the Celeste, Sebastián Cáceres, was injured after a minute. Venezuela played from less to more, with the power of Salomón Rondón in offense and the zig-zagging and skillful movement of Jefferson Soteldo in the middle.
Jose Andres Martinez (Venezuela) fights for the ball with Facundo Torres
Rondón struck the post with a header in the first half. Rochet stopped three one-on-one attempts in the rest of the match. Venezuela was more. Uruguay was frustrated by its offensive disarray, lacking precision in the last quarter of the field, when it came to the moment of truth when stepping into the area. Neither Pellistri, who started well but finished worse, nor Quique Olivera nor an erratic Maxi Araújo, created any risk. The only thing left for the goal was a foul on substitute Facu Torres in the second half that opened the door for a free kick in the half moon of Lucas Olaza. Badly shot, it hit the barrier.
In the end, Bielsa kept his own goal at zero, unable to open the scoring against the opposition. Nicolás Fonseca and the full-back Marcelo Saracchi came on in the last five minutes.
Venezuela left with the frustration of not having achieved victory. But it remains in the fight, in the middle of the table, in this South America in which six countries out of ten will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup, and a seventh will have a chance in the play-offs. And like never before in its history, the Vinotinto has the opportunity to be in the most important event in world football.
TECHNICAL SHEET
0 – Venezuela: The 2011 World Cup Finals were played at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain.
Coach: Fernando ‘Bocha’ Batista
0 – Uruguay: Sergio Rochet; Guillermo Varela, Santiago Bueno, Sebastian Caceres (m.5, Nico Marichal), Lucas Olaza; Manuel Ugarte, Emiliano Martinez, Brian Rodriguez (m.54, Facundo Torres; m.87, Marcelo Saracchi), Maximiliano Araújo (m.45, Miguel Merentiel), Facundo Pellistri (m.87, Nicolas Fonseca); Cristian Oliviera.
Coach: Marcelo Bielsa.
Referee:Brazilian Raphael Claus cautioned Cristian Cásseres, Miguel Navarro and José Martínez of Venezuela; and Manuel Ugarte, Brian Rodríguez, Miguel Merentiel and Emiliano Martínez of Uruguay.
Incidents: Match of the eighth round of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, played at the Estadio Monumental de Maturín.
