“I know Gallese, Ascues. But I watch Argentine football and Advíncula is an animal, on that right side he kills you” | INTERVIEW

Dominican, a country that in sports is better known for baseball than soccer, however, with the coach’s revelations about bringing players of Dominican descent to his team, they plan to strengthen that bond with their people. In addition, it has Junior Firpo, a player who played for Barcelona in Spain.

-How are you planning the duel against Peru?

At this moment, as you know, like any other coach: watching the rival through videos. In itself, we have an idea in our heads of the players we are going to bring, but obviously, we are following the Leagues that are playing so that, given the moment, we can bring 100 percent. Afterwards, we will see the last matches of Peru, although it was not with the same coach, but we will observe the tenure of some players who will be called up, because the Peruvian team is preparing for the Copa América and the players who were there before I estimate that they too They will be now and although we know many of them. In addition, we are analyzing the professor during his time at the U and from there we will get an idea of ​​his playing style.

-Do you feel it is a disadvantage not knowing how your Fossati eleven will stop?

I don’t think it is a disadvantage, but rather that we had no information about Fossati, since he is starting and I imagine that he will have to answer the questions that he has about which eleven he wants to put on the field. That match with Nicaragua will be good for us because we will have an idea of ​​his game model.

-What is the Dominican Republic’s style of play?

We try to impose possession of the ball whenever possible to generate play and finish plays at speed. That’s basically in two words what we’re trying to do. But if we don’t have the ball, we know how to group ourselves, organize ourselves defensively to see if we can get out at speed, especially if we were subdued. Obviously, facing a higher-ranking team like Peru, we must take our precautions and not be innocent either.

-Here in Peru there were many questions when we found out that we were going to face the Dominican Republic. Does it bother you that they look down on your team and say that they are a winnable rival?

No not at all. Honestly, I don’t think the criticism was so directed at us, I think. It was all because the Peruvian team was going to face Italy and it was not played, so they decided to play against Nicaragua and us. It is an issue for the Peruvian team, not ours. Having this invitation, we feel very respected and flattered to be able to play against a World Cup team. Imagine that for us it is very good, I see it from that side. I left that for you and I don’t feel that it is a lack of respect towards us.

-But could it be a mental push to beat Peru in the Monumental Stadium in front of more than 60 thousand people?

How about! (Smiles) It’s what we aim for, but we are a young team since last year and I’ve played 8 games. It’s nothing and with many local players, we played in the Nations Cup and we had injuries, that is, we never had the full team. God willing, in March, we will have the complete team, what one wants to have.

-You worked with Gallese in Orlando, are you surprised that he is among the best goalkeepers in South America?

No, because I saw Pedro in the three years I was there and I saw him on a day-to-day basis. At Orlando City we had great integration between the first team, reserve and youth teams. When I arrived, Yotún had already left and I spent some time with Ascues. What Pedro does is as if he did not make an effort to do it, his talent is natural. He is a thorough professional. When we took Quembol Guadalupe, Gallese gave him a hand. The Peruvians are very good people and I wish them success, but when they play against us they don’t break it (laughs) The truth is that the aerial output has improved a lot, Gallese, since in the MLS there is a lot of aerial play in the area and it has saved the team on several occasions.

-Does it take pressure off facing a Warrior with few games during 2024?

Well, he is a reference in recent years, a player who has always fought against him and it is a shame that after an issue he can only play, it would be nice to have him in front of him, because one enjoys facing good players. You have an interesting selection, I watch Argentine football and Advíncula is an animal on that right side he kills you. There will be Gallese, Cartagena, Lapadula, Corzo, who I like how they play, since they have talent.

-Will you maintain your 1-3-5-2 playing style?

It seems like a system like that, but in general we play a 4-2-3-1, always with a winger who joins the offensive phase and try to place five players in the attacking third to be able to create things. Knowing who we are and playing against Peru, a World Cup team for which we must have respect, as we always have for all teams, we have to see the game that we can adapt to win the game.

-Of the last five games you had with the Dominican Republic, you won 3, tied 1 and lost the other game, does it give you confidence to face what is coming with optimism?

Yes, in that sense I am very happy with the players I have called, because they have adapted the idea and transfer it to the playing field as best they can. There are days that turn out better than other days, so in that sense I am very happy.

-If your team continues on this line of growth, do you aspire for the Dominican Republic to fight for qualification to the World Cup?

It is a dream of ours to be able to fight until the end. We transfer that dream to the players, leaders and, God willing, the fans. Through this dream that we are trying to make a reality, we have convinced the players who are in Europe to come, since they had not done so before and we are putting together a good squad where there are top players who play in top leagues and therefore What not to dream when you have the elements it is easier to do it.

-Who are those players from Europe?

Today Junior Firpo who plays for Leeds United would come, we are going to bring Noam Baumann, who is a Swiss Dominican goalkeeper who plays for OFI Crete in Greece. We also have a player of German-Dominican origin named Heinz Morschel, a mixed midfielder, who plays for Újpest FC in Budapest. Then, we have players who, because they are in the national team, are playing in the First Division of Bolivia. The Dominican League clubs have exported players to the Bolivian league this last year, about 10 players, of which 8 have been called up in all the national team calls. We are professionalizing the team and we expect an improvement from what was the year before to the current one. In addition, there is a player in Nice called Pablo Rosario, a midfielder and he is one of the players we are in talks with and he has expressed his desire to play with us.

-Would these players you mention be against Peru?

God willing, yes, that is the idea. We want to go with the group that is going to play in the Qualifiers in July and we have nothing after March, so we have to make the most of this March call-up.

-And what happens with Mariano Díaz?

Mariano’s case is day by day, I think we have to convince him based on how we are growing not only on the playing field but also in the Federation. Having a better organization, more resources, since he plays in a top-level league and I imagine that we have a pending account that we are growing in what I have been telling you.

-Do they have to improve that bad relationship that existed in the past with Mariano Díaz to convince him?

Obviously, it’s showing what you do. I like to talk if not act through concrete examples. We are at that stage. In 2023 there was important growth not only in the game, but in the mentality of the Dominican player trying to learn and what they add if they are at a better level than they are now, let them come and contribute their grain for the good of the Dominican soccer. Our children in the Dominican Republic do not have football idols and this could be an emphasis for that with the arrival of Firpo, Pablo Rosario and Mariano at some point.

-Are you talking to any other players of Dominican descent to bring them into your project?

We have our eyes on Peter Federico González who was at Real Madrid Castilla and has now been transferred to Valencia FC and already made his debut the other day with the first team. He is a boy that we have our eyes on and thank God we are qualified for the Paris Olympic Games and that is another of the goals we have to reach Paris in a competitive manner. I personally speak with Peter, but everything is slow, with patience, since he is a 2002 and grew up in Spain and I imagine that his desire may be to play for the Spanish national team. Competing with that is not easy, that’s why we have to do things well and they feel that we are doing them well so as not to take a wrong step.