[retired_jdupont]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by alvaro:
We dont want Uruguay again. Venezuela would be good! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Believe me, you will prefer to play against Chile (which is 5th now). Venezuela is improving a lot. Although their match against you ended tied (1-1, I think), they are capable of doing a lot better than that.

Chile, on the other hand, is completely awful (includng their teams). :thdn:

[retired_jdupont]

Chile is so awful that I had to say that 3 times.

[cherub]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PMLF:
Chile is so awful that I had to say that 3 times. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Lol!!!

[retired_jaydeschizo]

What has happen to Venezuela? I rember that before they both in the Copa America and the WC-qualifications usually lost all they matches and was always the weakest team in South America

[cherub]

They've improved quite a lot. They are no longer the whipping boys of SOuth American football.

[retired_jaydeschizo]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by alvaro:
They've improved quite a lot. They are no longer the whipping boys of SOuth American football.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

But what has caused that? Did they get some excellent manger or some new talented players?

[cherub]

dont really know why!
PMLF???

[fat_boy_troy]

Bit of both, I would say, and more determination. Baseball is the national sport, so football usually is not played as the rest of countries in the continent do.

What I imagine is that other teams became worse too, not only did Venezuela improved but the likes of Chile, Colombia and Bolivia went down on a free fall.

[retired_jdupont]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by alvaro:
dont really know why!
PMLF???<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I would guess they signed more foreign coaches (especially Argentinians?) to improve their football. Also, Football has been slowly taking Baseball's territory for the last 20 years or so which means morep eople are playing the game now.

The funny hing is that Venezuela used to be a pretty rich country (compared to other teams in the region) but thanks to Hugo Chávez their GDP has been reduced in 40% or so in the last 4 years. Even with that situation their football improved.

[retired_jdupont]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mario:
Bit of both, I would say, and more determination. Baseball is the national sport, so football usually is not played as the rest of countries in the continent do.

What I imagine is that other teams became worse too, not only did Venezuela improved but the likes of Chile, Colombia and Bolivia went down on a free fall.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Chile and Bolivia are in decadence but I don't think Colombia is. In 2003 they had 2 teams (América de Cali and MedellÃ*n) in the Libertadores Cup semifinals and one team (Atlético Nacional) in the Copa Sudamericana semifinals. In 2001 Colombia won the Copa América for the first time.

Most of the recent problems in the Colombian Nat'l Team were caused by Maturana. But now Colombia has a new coach (Reinaldo Rueda I think) and their situation in the WC qualifyings is going to improve.