It hit first: It took two hours for the Colombia team to leave the airport in Puerto Ordaz (Venezuela)

On its arrival to patriot territory to play this Tuesday the final match for the Qualifiers to Qatar 2022, the Colombian senior team had all kinds of difficulties leaving the airport in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, with the corresponding effects on their agenda and the well-being of the players.

In what could be a strategy to wear down the rival, the tricolor delegation had difficulty in transit to its concentration due to logistical delays that included delays in the delivery of their luggage as well as a PCR test at the airport to the entire coffee staff.

According to the version of journalist José José Hugo Illera (from Win Sports), the wait exceeded two and a half hours, after which, the team was able to leave the airport to rest at their hotel.

It should be noted that the delay altered the agenda of the national team that could not recognize the Cachamay stadium, in Puerto Ordaz, where in a few hours it will have the last chance to buy tickets to Qatar.

In testimony collected by the FUTBOLRED portal, Illera related the incident as follows:

Other colleagues, such as Camilo Pinto and Pilar Velásquez, from the CARACOL chain recorded the delays faced by selection at the airport with the lengthy baggage delivery process and PCR tests to detect covid-19.

The team arrived at their hotel after 9:00pm (Venezuela time) with obvious signs of fatigue following the “operation turtle” they faced at the Puerto Ordaz airport.

Scenarios for Colombia against Venezuela for the last match of the qualifiers

Sticking to mathematics, those led by Reinaldo Ruedo have two different formulas to attend the top football competition, one with a win and the other with a draw. The scenarios are as follows:

1. May Colombia beat Venezuela on its visit to Guyana and Peru lose or draw with Paraguay. If it happens, the coffee team will climb to fifth place in the qualifiers, that is, they will play the third repechage in the Asian qualifiers table.

2. Let Colombia draw with Venezuela, Peru fall to Paraguay and Chile lose to Uruguay, although some southern media have referred to a possible Santiago Pact in the last of these clashes.

If there is one motivating phrase in football, it is that “the statistics are there to break them” and the Colombian team will have to stick to them, because at the end of the Playoffs they will need them. The Tricolor does not beat Venezuela as a visitor, five commitments, and the match on March 29 will have a particular ingredient: José Néstor Pekerman, one of the best coaches in the continent, on the bench of La Vinotinto.

“Venezuela is going to have the support of its fans and now with Pékerman's work it is an evaluation for us, if we have anything to go to the world cup. He is a rival that is going to demand from us and he is going to show the character and maturity of our team,” Reinaldo Rueda said at a press conference prior to the match, and he is right.

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