The coach of the Bolivian basketball team, Giovanni Vargas, defined the starting team for the match against Ecuador for the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers that will be played this Saturday in Tarija, starting at 8:00 p.m.
It will be the first of two matches between the two, the rematch will be played on the 17th of this month in Guayaquil.
The selected team held a practice match on Tuesday afternoon at the Guadalquivir Coliseum that served Vargas to define the starting squad, which is made up of Ronald Arze, Cristhian Camargo, Armando Choque, Joshua Reaves and Arnold Mercado.
Regarding the game of La Verde, DT Vargas commented that “in the game you have to be careful in defensive rebounds, because that is one of our shortcomings; We also have to be well-accommodated on the pitch, in the defensive rotation and be attentive to help ”. While the main virtue of the selected is the offensive game, said the coach.
A fundamental aspect in the Bolivian team is the team game. “In the 1 x 1 they can beat us, but with collaboration in each play they can face Ecuador, which due to the experience and friction they have is the favorite in the key,” said Vargas.
In these days prior to the match, the workloads of the national team were reduced, in the mornings they train from 10:00 to 12:30 and in the afternoons from 15:00 to 17:00; while videos are watched at night, after dinner.
The game will be played with the public, the Guadalquivir Coliseum has capacity for 5,000 spectators and the local authorities authorized the Bolivian Basketball Federation (FBB) to sell 2,000 tickets, the general tickets cost 100 Bolivianos and the numbered seats cost Bs. 150 .
“Having an audience is very important, it is always a pressure for the referee to be impartial and balanced, and it is also a motivation for our players,” said the coach, who is optimistic about achieving victory.
As for the rival, Ecuador will arrive this Thursday in the city of La Paz, will spend the night at the Hotel Presidente and this Friday will travel to Tarija.
