Dely Valdés, the ‘mule’ Panama coach who played in Argentina’s promotion and expects a “hostile” Monumental

in the delegation forklift with which Panama will disembark in the next few hours at Argentina for Thursday’s friendly at the world champions party there will be those who know this land. Regard Jorge Luis Dely Valdésthe coach in charge of leading the Central American team in the absence of the main coach, who spent his early years as a professional footballer in the Argentine Ascension.

Currently in charge of Sub 20, Dely Valdés had to assemble a squad full of players playing in the local league, because the head coach, the Spanish-Danish Thomas Christiansendecided to focus on the duel against Costa Rica for the Concacaf Nations League.

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What surprised Dely Valdés, 56, is that he anticipated expecting a scenario “hostile” for the Panamanians at the Monumental stadium, which will be packed with over 83,000 people, ready to participate in a party for the third star obtained at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, rather than focusing on the sporting result of the friendly.

“We’ve already talked to the players, we will find a totally hostile field. We talked about the fact that we need to have the ability to show a lot of personality to play that match,” said the Panamanian coach after training at the Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez stadium in the capital of the Central American country.

He added that Panama and its players should take this opportunity as a showcase to show themselves, but beyond that they need to be aware that they are defending their team’s jersey and should go out and do a good job.

“Like I said: they’ll want to celebrate in style, but we have to keep up the pace of work on the pitch and play a good role”said the former footballer who made his debut in Skip Central Northand then crossed over Paraguayan sports AND Future.

The Panamanian coach clarified that it is an honor for him to lead his national team in a duel of this level, because this “You don’t see it every day” and it would be the first time Panama will face the current world champion.

“I’m really motivated, because this is not seen every day, it’s the first time Panama will face the recent world champion. This has to be evaluated, this has to be taken into account, obviously I’m very motivated,” he said. he said she.

In sport, Dely Valdés anticipated that he does not know which scheme the Albiceleste coach will propose to him Lionel ScaloniBecause during the World Cup “the systems have changed” and for this reason he will try to “give all the tools to the players”.

The former international has warned that he does not know the intensity with which the match will be lived, but he acknowledged that despite being a celebration ‘Argentina should win’.

“In the Monumental and its people they will want to win. Despite this, we are happy because they have considered us for that party and we will try to do a good job,” he said.

He ensured that the Argentine team has players with great virtues and that, in addition Lionel Messiregarded as the best player in history, he believes that the rest of footballers “can be considered the best” in every position they occupy.

“Argentina’s players have good pace. I think they have better pace than when they played in the World Cup,” concluded Dely Valdés.

Travel with a B team

Panama will take flight to Argentina this Tuesday. The news that emerged last Wednesday was that it will without their main coach and with a B team full of players playing in their local league.

This was reported by the Panamanian Football Federation (Fepafut), which revealed the list of 20 footballers called up for an away match that will certainly be unforgettable, but which for calendar reasons will lose its main exponents on the pitch.

What happened? The Spanish-Danish DT himself explained it Thomas Christiansen: “For me it would be exciting to go to Argentina to face the world champion, against Messi and company, but that’s not the priority. I won’t go to Argentina, because for me the priority is the Nations League and I don’t want to risk anything” .

Six players who are active in foreign clubs plus 14 who play in the Panamanian Soccer League have been included in the squad, although the base squad that competed in the previous World Cup qualifiers for Qatar 2022 will not be there.

Among the ‘foreign’ players, Martín Morán of FK Etar VT from Bulgaria, Iván Anderson of Venezuela from Monagas, Richard Peralta of Deportivo La Guaira, Cristian Quintero of La Luz from Uruguay, Jiovany Ramos from Deportivo Táchira and Alfredo Stephens, who plays for the Puerto Cabello Academy of Venezuela.

Panama’s call

archers: Emerson Dimas (CD Plaza Amador, PAN) and José Guerra (San Francisco FC, PAN).

defenders: Iván Anderson (Monagas, VEN), Michael Casazola (Sporting San Miguelito, PAN), Edgardo Fariña (CD Universitario, PAN), Kevin Galván (Sporting San Miguelito, PAN), Gilberto Hernández (CAI, PAN), Richard Peralta (Deportivo La Guaira, VEN) and Jiovany Ramos (Deportivo Táchira, VEN).

midfielders: Ricardo Ávila (CD Universitario, PAN), Omar Browne (Tauro FC, PAN), Miguel Camargo (Tauro FC, PAN), Irving Gudiño (Tauro FC, PAN), Víctor Medina (Tauro FC, PAN), Martín Morán (FK Etar VT, BUL), José Murillo (CD Plaza Amador, PAN), Cristian Quintero (La Luz, URU) and Jorge Serrano (CAI, PAN).

strikers: Ronaldo Córdoba (Herrera FC, PAN) and Alfredo Stephens (Puerto Cabello Academy, VEN).