Managua a Breather for Cuban Soccer

With assisted breathing for some time, Cuban soccer received an important breath of oxygen after defeating Nicaragua 1-0 score last Tuesday.

It was our only preparatory match prior  facing the main test of the year, the qualifiers of the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Football (Concacaf) towards the upcoming World Cup.

Therefore, it was crucial for the Cuban team to be able to rehearse defensive and offensive schemes in this interesting test in Managua, where they will also complete a training base.

Coach Yunielys Castillo was not completely satisfied because he confessed that he expected to defend a little higher, especially in the first half. Then he corrected the game scheme and with the 4-2-3-1 and some changes he was able to do more damage to the Nicas.

The Cuban defense was quite organized and the rivals' chances came almost exclusively with shots from outside the area, against which the debutant Ismel Morgado, substitute goal keeper for Raiko Arozarena, who had been a figure in the most recent games, looked good with spectacular saves.

The return of striker Maykel Reyes could not have been better, finishing the only goal of the match on a counterattack, which he celebrated in style because he had been hoping to be decisive again for a while.

With the goal, the team defense line dropped a few meters, so it can be said that in a single match they were able to rehearse with three different approaches, which is ideal for the technical team to evaluate with which scheme their players feel most comfortable and the game flows better.

Like we said, it will be the only test for our team before June 6, when they will play the first away game against the Honduras team, and then travel to Havana and face the Cayman Islands, the two matches of the first phase of the WC qualifying round.

Unfortunately, Fabián Gloor, the defender who missed this friendly due to an injury, could not be seen in action, and I have doubts if he could debut in June right away because you always need to adapt to the tactical dynamics and collective working, and this cannot be achieved only in a couple of days of training.

We repeat that for June it will be essential to recover key figures like Onel Hernández and Luis Javier Paradela, because that round of a single match against each of the rivals in their key, two as locals and two as visitors, does not leave much room for error .

This emotional push within a field is essential for the new project, but we also have to work in the offices for the coming months.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff