Venezuela happy to play U.S.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Lowly Venezuela is happy with the chance to play the United States in a soccer friendly on Saturday, even if coach Richard Paez only had a week to prepare.

Venezuela, ranked 69th by FIFA, soccer's world governing body, plays No. 10 United States in Seattle. It's Venezuela's first match since a 1-0 win over Uruguay in November.

"I'm optimistic because I believe in my boys, their ability and skill, despite the late notice," Paez said. The team was leaving Caracas for Seattle on Thursday.

Better known for its baseball than for soccer, Venezuela is slowly being recognized as a team to be reckoned with after a series of upset victories during South American qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.

Venezuela was quickly eliminated during qualifying, but Paez directed his players to a string of late wins over Uruguay, Chile, Peru and Paraguay. Venezuela beat Bolivia and Ecuador in friendlies last year.

The chance to play the Americans came after Japan canceled a two-game U.S. tour, citing security concerns because of the war in Iraq.

"Our goal is to test ourselves and see if Venezuela has the confidence to play at the world level. It's essential that we play friendlies with teams that have FIFA's best rankings," Paez said.

In their last meeting, Venezuela rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the Americans 3-3 in the 1993 Copa America.

Venezuela returns home to play Jamaica April 2. It's seeking games with Slovenia, Lithuania and Bosnia before a July 6 game at Costa Rica.

The United States plays Mexico on May 8 in Houston and Costa Rica on May 26 in San Jose, California.

 

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