BTN News: For Venezuela, a perfect start in the Copa America is just the beginning of bigger plans. Salomón Rondón and his teammates aim higher after a great group stage performance.
With goals from Eduard Bello and Rondón early in the second half, Venezuela won the top spot in their group by beating Jamaica 3-0 on Sunday night. The match was at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, with over 20,000 fans watching.
Winning All Games in Group B for the First Time
Venezuela did not hold back against the Caribbean team, ending Group B with all wins, a first in their history. This win sets up a quarterfinal match against Canada next Friday in Arlington, Texas, on Venezuela’s Independence Day.
“We are very happy with the three points,” Rondón said. “Now, we need to get ready for what’s next. We are happy with what we did, but we must focus on Canada.”
Bello scored first with a strong header at 49 minutes. Seven minutes later, Rondón, becoming Venezuela’s top scorer, found the net after a scramble. Eric Ramírez added the third goal in the 85th minute.
Ecuador Moves On, Mexico is Out of the Tournament
In other games, Ecuador’s 0-0 draw with Mexico in Glendale, Arizona, got them the second spot with four points. Ecuador will play Argentina in the knockout stage’s first match on Thursday in Houston. Mexico, also with four points, was out because of a worse goal difference.
Venezuela Plays Their Best in the Tournament
Under Argentine coach Fernando Batista, Venezuela has improved, giving their best performance of the tournament. They had earlier beaten Ecuador (2-1) and Mexico (1-0). Batista, however, watched the game from the stands due to a suspension for being late in their earlier matches.
Assistant coach Leandro Cufré, who replaced Batista on the bench, said Venezuela is not happy with just reaching the quarterfinals. “We are enjoying this, but we haven’t reached our main goal yet… we are on the right path,” he said.
Smart Play and Key Choices in the Game
With a spot in the quarterfinals already secure, Venezuela rested key players Yeferson Soteldo and Nahuel Ferraresi. The game could have changed if the Italian referee Maurizio Mariani had not forgiven Darwin Machís a red card for a rough tackle on Jamaica’s Joel Latibeaudiere at the 10-minute mark.
Venezuela controlled the game as they wanted. Their superiority was clear by the end of the first half, with Rondón just missing a shot after great control in the box, and then Jamaican goalkeeper Jahmali Waite deflecting a dangerous cross from Machís.
The key moment came when Jon Aramburu sent a perfect cross from the left, which Bello headed into the net. Later, Rondón moved through the middle, keeping his balance to tap the ball past Waite after getting a pass from Yangel Herrera.
Looking Forward to the Next Match
Both Bello and Rondón have scored two goals each in the tournament, with Rondón reaching 43 goals in his 107 games for Venezuela. Jamaica, in their third Copa America, ended their run with three losses, finishing last in their group.
Venezuela now looks forward to their quarterfinal match, hoping to continue their great run in the Copa America and reach their big goals.
