Havana, November 12 (JIT)-- The Cuban national soccer team will play an official match against its Russian counterpart on November's Fifa date. The match is scheduled for November 20 at 4:30 p.m. in Volgograd.
Cuban coach Yunielys Castillo will opt to continue testing young talents, taking advantage of the friendly nature of the match.
The DT has given confidence to novice players in defining circumstances such as the A level of the league of nations, in which they managed to stay even after two matches against Honduras that suggested defeats.
He will also keep some experienced players who can guide the insertion of the young players and help them understand the dynamics of the senior team, according to what he told this newspaper.
Thus, while the presence of some of the established players will be noticeable, the absence of others who have played in the recent past will be noticeable.
This issue generates debate among those who consider that this opportunity should be faced with all possible weapons, while others value as ideal to test players and extend the possibilities of replacement in the different variants.
The truth is that facing elite teams will not only help to raise the ceiling and the demands, but it will also be an excellent showcase for our team.
The experience against a demanding opponent, in a stadium like the Volgograd Arena, is enviable for other teams in the area. Let us understand that several of our young players will have been tested against Chile, Uruguay, Honduras and Russia, thus accumulating a qualitatively high road map.
The management to get such rivals should be evaluated as very positive, especially if we do not make an excessively "result-oriented" assessment.
Going into details about the match in question, two pieces of good news derive from the call-up: the recovery of captain Luis Javier Paradela and the return of the midfield wizard, Karel Espino, who returns from an injury that kept him away from the main commitments of the Lions of the Caribbean this year.
Another important addition is the young defender from FC Baden 1897, from Swiss soccer, Fabian Gloor, who will have a great opportunity to show his talent under Castillo's orders.
The coach has not only set his sights outside Cuba. In the domestic championship, he also "fished" for the "espirituano"... He has called promising goalkeeper Yorlan Urgellés from Guantanamo, defender Elvis Casanova from Villaclare, Ricardo Leandro Polo from Tunera and forwards Alexander Gómez and David de Jesús Pérez, most of whom belong to the U-20 national team.
Once again, Raiko Arozarena will be in goal and will be accompanied in the position by Ismel Morgado, in addition to the aforementioned Urgellés. The squad is completed with defenders Alejandro Delgado, Dariel Morejón, Orlando Calvo, Yosel Piedra, Mario Peñalver and Carlos Vázquez. In the midfield are Eduardo Hernández, Romario Torres, Rey Ángel Cordero and Yunior Yuri Pérez, who can also occupy positions in defense with the return of Espino. Up front, Cristian Valiente, Daniel Díaz and Reydel Sánchez return, in addition to the new additions.
