Sailing in Villegas’s head

In the press conference before the match against Venezuela, coach Oscar Villegas was direct in saying that he will not give any information that could go against the team or that could be useful to the rival. That is why he will present the team next Tuesday against Chile (17:00 HB) in Santiagothere will be no clues, even more so now that it is planned to change a lot due to the casualties.

Ramiro Vaca -the best player on Thursday- and Héctor Cuéllar, who played as a holding midfielder, will not be available due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Meanwhile, Henry Vaca suffered an injury to the abductor muscle in his left leg, which unexpectedly kept him out of the training camp. Without them the panorama changes, although it was also planned to approach the game in a different way.

In the clash against Venezuela (4-0) in which Bolivia used all its arsenal to put pressure from the start, It was played with a line of four at the back. That would be the first change, since Villegas is thinking of starting with three at the back and with two men frequently coming out on the wings. Added to this is the possibility of populating the middle and counterattacking.

But let’s go step by step. On that chessboard in which the DT has immersed himself in the last hoursLuis Haquin and Marcelo Suárez are the safe bets, and the possibility of placing Yomar Rocha -usually a full-back- as a third centre-back on the right arises. José Sagredo could also be here, although it would be a risky option considering that he is left-footed.

The extremes, but which would also serve as an escape route, They are Diego Medina, on the right, and Roberto Carlos Fernández, on the left. Both of them played well on Thursday in El Alto, although Villegas and they themselves know that they must first worry about marking and then about the exit, against the Chileans. The good thing is that both are fine.

The idea of ​​populating the environment is floating in Villegas’s head. to not give Chile any space and that is where the first ‘laboratory’ comes in: placing Pablo Vaca as a stopper or Gabriel Villamil. The first, although he is a regular centre-back in Always Ready, was rehearsed there and since Cuéllar will not be there due to yellow cards, the chance of placing him from the start opens up.

If the coach decides on him, Villamil and Robson Matheus -another who had a good match- They will be practically ‘front men’ watching any movement to retreat or counterattack. The middle is key and Villegas knows it and that is why he is not willing to give anything away, even more so against a team like Chile that has fast players.

The offensive mission would be entrusted to Carmelo Algarañaz, The strong ‘Tank’ will have as its first collaborator Miguel Terceros who came in on Thursday for Henry Vaca as a winger, but whose usual position is to be a creative midfielder, always looking towards the rival goal. Medina and Fernández also have the license to support.