FIFA U-17 World Cup Participants Profile 2023: Venezuela, Pursue First Point

Venezuela U-17 hopes to present a surprise when competing in Indonesia. (FIFA)

JAKARTA - Venezuela is back in the U-17 World Cup for the first time in 10 years. And this time with agile midfielder David Martinez, Venezuela will try to create their history at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia.

The success of holding a ticket to Indonesia is Venezuela's achievement which has surprised many parties.

This is Venezuela's second chance to get a place in the FIFA U-17 World Cup tournament. This is inseparable from the impressive and brilliant performances at the 2023 U-17 South American Championships.

In Indonesia, Venezuela is in Group F with New Zealand, Mexico and Germany. Venenzuela's first step in the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia by hosting New Zealand at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, November 12. Then the second match was held in the same place against Mexico.

The third group stage match from Venezuela was held on November 18, 2023, by serving Germany at the Jakarta International Stadium. The match was held at 16.00 WIB.

Although it had to go through a difficult preliminary match because Germany and Mexico were blocking it, Venezuela was ready to make their new history in the U-17 World Cup.

Venezuela secured a place in Indonesia after taking fourth place in the 2023 U-17 South American Championships.

Only one defeat was suffered from four matches that led them to qualify for the final. Victory over Chile and Paraguay, as well as a draw against Ecuador's strong team, ensure they enter as the fourth best team.

At the U-17 World Cup, Venezuela was coached by Ricardo Valino who spent most of his coaching career in his home country, Argentina.

Valino is noted to have handled the youth teams San Lorenzo, River Plate, and Velez. He has also worked with players such as Javier Saviola and Radamel Falcao in his coaching career process.

In March 2023, Valino took over as coach of the Venezuelan U-17 national team from Fabricio Coloccini. And the excitement immediately brought extraordinary success, bringing his team to qualify for the U-17 World Cup finals.

In Indonesia Valino has players who cannot be underestimated, one of which is David Martinez. The young player with the number 10 shirt has an extraordinary talent, which is very unfortunate not to be enjoyed when checking the ball in the middle of the field.

Martinez is a talented young midfielder, with the instinct of scoring a pretty sharp goal. He became the top scorer of the team at the U-17 South American Championships. An achievement to help his country reach the final round of the U-17 World Cup that the Venezuelan public has long been waiting for.

The 2023 Indonesia U-17 World Cup will be Venezuela's second chance, after the inaugural tournament which was participated in 2013.

However, they must immediately forget what was obtained in the UAE. The reason is, they had to lose their third game, and only scored two goals in the group stage.

Venezuela has never been ahead in a match that was played at the U-17 World Cup. In 2013 their only goal was created when they narrowed the gap against Tunisia. While other goals were scored to equalize when they met Japan.