July 16, 2022
Venezuela’s Primera Division normally operated under the Apertura and Clausura system commonly used in South and Central America, but a complicated group system had been used in 2021 due to the impact of Covid and other issues necessitating 21 teams playing at the top level last year. It was expected that Apertura and Clausura format would return for this year, but it was eventually decided that the 16 teams would play each other home and away for a regular 30 game season. The top four would qualify for the 2023 COPA Libertadores and play-off to determine the champion, whilst the sides finishing 5th to 12th would form two groups with the top two in each group qualifying for the 2023 COPA Sudamericana. The team finishing in last place in the regular session will be relegated to the Segunda Division.
The season started on 24th February with Deportivo Tachira as champions after beating FC Caracas on penalties in the 2021 final, and the season has now reached round 20.
Caracas FC are the most successful club in Venezuelan history with 12 titles, with the last one being in 2019, and are one of four sides from the capital in the Primera Division, all of whom share the 23,940 capacity Estadio Olimpico de UCV, which is where the national side usually play their home matches. The stadium has a grass pitch.
Their home kit is a red shirt with black shorts and black socks, and they went into today’s match in 8th place in the table, with a 6-8-5 record and 7 points off fourth spot. However, they had lost only one “home” fixture, which was against lowly Caracas club UCV, who also play at the same stadium. They were on a run of two consecutive wins after having previously gone five games without a victory.
Caracas also demonstrated strong home form in their COPA Libertadores group, going unbeaten in matches with Libertad from Paraguay ( 1-0 ) Brazilian side Atletico Paranaense ( 0-0 ) and Bolivians The Strongest ( 0-0 ). Unfortunately, away from Venezuela they were only able to draw in Bolivia and lost in Paraguay and Brazil to finish bottom of the group.
Only one Caracas player, uncapped 21 year old defender Eduardo Fereria, was called up to the most recent national squad, but their starting line-up featured 5 former internationals, namely goal-keeper Alain Baroja ( 14 caps and ex-AEK Athens ), defender Rubert Quijada ( 7 caps and has played in Qatar ), centre-back Carlos Rivero ( 1 cap ), midfielder Carlos Suarez ( 1 cap ) and ex-Malaga midfielder Juanpi Anor ( 21 caps ), who signed recently from UAE side Al-Ain.
Forward Ade Oguns is from Nigeria, and Benin striker Samson Akinyoola was their top scorer so far this season with 5 goals, but he was missing from the match-day squad.
Estudiantes play in the city of Merida, which has just over 200,000 inhabitants and is approximately 650km from Caracas, or around 6 hours by road.
Estudiantes have never won the Venezuelan league but last year finished 6th to qualify for the COPA Sudamericana, where they were drawn against fellow Venezuelan side Metropolitanos, and lost 0-6 on aggregate. However, they have had more success in the Primera Division, starting the day in 6th place with a 7-7-5 record and on an unbeaten run of 7 matches.
21 year old striker Jesus Vargas was called into the last national squad but is still to make his debut. He is Estudiantes’ joint top scorer with 4 goals, alongside midfielder Angelo Pena. The only other member of their starting line-up with international experience was veteran defender Wilson Diaz, who won 2 caps back in 2011.
Home is the 42,200 capacity Estadio Metropolitano de Merida, and their first choice kit is red and white stripes with blue shorts. Today though they wore a mostly white kit with green patches due to the colour clash with the red of Caracas. As their name suggests, they are also known as The Academics.
The match was streamed live on the Conexion deportiva YouTube channel and attracted over 11,000 views. The match kicked off at 17.00 local time ( 22.00 UK time ), with the temperature around 22 degrees. Bet365 made Caracas red-hot favourites to win at 1/4, with Estudiantes at 3/1 and the draw at 9/2.
Caracas with just a minute on the clock. Quijada headed powerfully away a long ball into the Caracas half and the ball fell to Miguel Celis at least thirty-five yards from goal, who controlled on his chest, turned and shot first time, which seemed to catch keeper Araque unaware as the ball went under his slow motion dive and into the net for his fourth goal of the season.
Despite going behind so early, Estudiantes didn’t panic, and confidently passed the ball around. Caracas’ Zambrano was perhaps fortunate to receive only a yellow card in the 4th minute for an uncontrolled arm into the face of Contreas as they jumped for the ball. Vargas immediately caught the eye with some nice touches and runs down the left, but Ghanaian midfielder Adjin Livingstone’s 30 yard effort was hugely optimistic and easily dealt with Baroja in the Caracas goal.
Caracas centre-back Rivero had to be alert to deal with a dangerous chip in the direction of Araque in the Caracas area at the expense of a corner, but the visitors were back on level terms in the 14th minutes. With perhaps the Caracas defence anticipating the award of a free-kick as a Estudiantes player fell to the floor after a tackle, Pena allowed the ball to roll to Vargas who swept a sweet left-footed shot from 20 yards across goal into the bottom corner.
Stunned by conceding a goal, Caracas started to press with more urgency and began to gain more possession. In the 16th minutes left-footed play-maker Juanpi went on a mazy run inside the Academics’ area only to be crowded out, then two minutes later, Juanpi attempted to repeat what Celis had achieved, but his swerving 30+ yard left footed effort was this time well save by the diving Araque, pushing the ball away for a corner.
The Estudiantes players though did seem to be fragile, and with barely 20 minutes gone, three different players had been rolling on the ground with a serious looking injuries, only to recover undamaged.
After a quiet spell of the game, Caracas had a good chance to regain the lead. Oguns made a break down the left wing but his low cross was beyond his team-mates. However, Juanpi retrieved the ball and delivered a curling cross into the danger zone. Celis should have buried the header from just outside the 6 yard line, but the ball glanced off his head and struck Penilla’s outstretched foot to go for a corner. The home side’s appeals for handball were rightly ignored by the referee but for some reason, play was held up whilst Penilla needed treatment for some imaginary injury whilst attempting to make the block.
Caracas did regain their advantage in the 31st minute. The ball was worked to Zambrano on the right wing and it looked as if Juanpi would finish his low cross from close range, but Penilla’s challenge denied him. Instead, the ball rolled on to Oguns at the back post, who couldn’t miss for his first goal for Caracas.
Oguns then nearly turned provider but his pin-point pass to Celis didn’t result in a goal as the striker slipped whilst about to pull the trigger. Celis was again tasting dirt a few minutes later and perhaps had a valid claim for a penalty after a challenge from Penilla, with whom he was having a tremendous battle throughout the game, but again the referee wasn’t interested.
The rest of the half became increasingly niggly as both sides committed fouls and complained to the referee, with Estudiantes being by the worst offenders in terms of play-acting and remonstrations, not helped by the referee blowing for half-time before a free-kick in a promising position could be taken after Vargas had been chopped down. The protests continued as the teams went down the tunnel to the dressing rooms.
At the interval, Estuadiantes trailed despite having 57% of the possession, but Caracas had looked the more dangerous side going forward, so perhaps deserved their lead.
Caracas looked to have secured an impregnable lead in the 58th minute. Estudiantes lost the ball near the half-way line, and in a swift counter attack involving Flores, Juanpi and Oguns, the final pass from Oguns found Juanpi in space 15 yards out to caress left footed into the roof of the net.
The visitors strove to get back into game, and Pena saw a free-kick over the wall pushed away by Baroja in the 67th minute, with the keeper blocking the follow-up from Guaramato with his legs. From the subsequent corner, Vargas stooped to head home at the back post after a commanding header from Penilla, but the goal was disallowed as Vargas was at least couple of yards offside.
Caracas had the next chance a couple of minutes later, with Fereira getting to the by-line and although his pull-back was partially intercepted and the ball looped up into the air, Zambrano’s header deflected off a defender and over the bar. Estudiantes replied with Guaramato drilling a cross from the right, but substitute Parra couldn’t get over the ball, and his header sailed high and wide.
With 11 minutes remaining, Estudiantes substitute Urdeneta was denied as Baroja pushed away his dipping 30 yard free-kick, with Rivillo heading the rebound away for a corner before it reached Penilla. After three more corners, Baroja was again called into action to save a low shot from Livingstone.
Estudiantes probably realised it wasn’t going to be their day when with seven minutes remaining Boraja made a great double save, first diving to keep out a low effort from Vargas and then blocking the follow-up from Livingstone, and then diving on the loose ball.
The match ended after six minutes of added on time, with the result seeing Caracas moving up to 5th in the table after their victory, as Estudiantes fell back to 7th.
Overall, it was an enjoyable good quality game to watch, spoilt
only by the amount of play-acting and complaints to the match officials.For Caracas, keeper Baroja and midfielder Juanpi were the stand-out performers, whilst for Estudiantes, Penilla and Vargas played well.
Caracas FC : Baroja – Fereira, Quijada, Rivero, Revillo – Rodriguez ( Garcia ), Suarez - Zambrano ( Ortega ), Juanpi ( Sulbaran ), Oguns ( Martinez ) – Celis ( Egbuditke ),
Estudiantes de Merida : Araque – Guaramato, Diaz, Penilla, Contreras ( Parra ) - Pena, Livingstone, Flores ( Urdaneta ), Rivas ( Gomez ) – Araque ( Vera ), Vargas
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDSWJ_4Rffo
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