Carlos Caszely: If the Ecuadorian team comes to Santiago to stay behind, it is most likely that Chile will pass over it

Carlos Caszely (Santiago, 1950) is one of the greatest football idols in Chile and one of the best footballers in the history of that country. Symbol of Colo Colo, the former striker moved his class to Europe, where between 1973 and 1978 he had outstanding campaigns at Levante (he scored four goals against Rayo Vallecano in one match) and at Espanyol. A World Cup player with La Roja in 1974 and 1982, Caszely spoke with this newspaper about tomorrow’s elimination game between Chile and Ecuador. He says he did not see La Tri well, despite the victory against Venezuela, and made a couple of warnings. He recalled his time in Barcelona in 1986 (after a 3-3 in the Modelo with Deportivo Quito, for the Copa Libertadores, a game in which DT Luis Santibáñez and Alfredo de los Santos were expelled, there was a crisis. The board of directors terminated the contract of those sanctioned and the squad rebelled. Then President Galo Roggiero resigned and after measuring Coritiba, Caszely decided to return to his country).

With the victory over Paraguay, does the game against Ecuador take on greater relevance for Chile?

It is very important to beat Ecuador, which I did not see well against Venezuela. If we get a victory, we would be one point behind the Tricolor (it has 20); more difficult matches will come. Ecuador will play with Brazil and us with Argentina, whom we have beaten in recent matches. Beating Paraguay gave us an incentive.

Carlos Caszely, 71, wearing the Colo Colo jersey, at a 2019 tribute.

What do you think of the Tricolor?

Ecuador started the tie very well, but fell in the last matches; at the beginning it was a machine. Venezuela, which normally does not hurt anyone visiting, in the last 5 minutes put Ecuador in its goal. For you it is more worrying how to come to play Chile, because if you come to stay behind, it is most likely that Chile will pass you by.

In his time, an Ecuador-Chile was a sure red victory, or a draw (just in the 1997 Copa América, the Tri won an official duel against Chile). Now it is more even. What do you think changed?

In recent months, Ecuador has been negative. I insist, they started well, they won games, they looked like a well-formed team, with a lot of effort, with a lot of football, but it declined. Venezuela put them on their own ground in Quito and that, for a team that wants to qualify, is incomprehensible.

What do you think is the best that Chile and Ecuador have?

Chile’s strength is that it recovered what made it win the Copa América in 2015 and 2016; press up, at the exit, for example. Ecuador has two good full-backs, but with the pressure that Chile is going to put on, I don’t think they’ll go up that much.

Brazil has already qualified and Argentina is almost in Qatar. Who will be the other two direct tickets and who will go to the repechage?

Brazil and Argentina will be yes or yes in the World Cup. What Brazil has done is unprecedented; he has won almost all his matches. If (on the fourteenth date) Chile, Uruguay and Colombia win, they will all be one point from Ecuador. There would be uncertainty because all those teams would fight for the two direct spots (remaining) and a playoff that can complicate anyone.

After the era of DT Jorge Sampaoli, did the level of Chile go down?

This has been given by the technicians who were hired. Reinaldo Rueda is a coach who plays differently and we see that now in Colombia. (His style) It is not of the same characteristics as that of Marcelo Bielsa or Sampaoli. Luckily the strategist (Martín Lasarte) understood that Chile had to play as before and achieved an important victory in Asunción. The way of playing that Bielsa and Sampaoli left as a legacy is the one that was retaken against Paraguay.

In May 40 years of an Ecuador-Chile match for the 1982 World Cup qualifiers were remembered, a game during which the death of President Jaime Roldós, his wife, and members of his entourage in a plane crash was announced. Do you remember that night? How did you see the selected Ecuadorians?

When we were at halftime of that game in the dressing room they told us that the plane with President Roldós had crashed and that perhaps the match was suspended, but due to FIFA rules it was not possible and they continued playing. The truth is, I saw a very sad stadium (Modelo) with what happened to the president. That was also felt on the pitch.

In 1986 you had a brief visit to Barcelona to play the Copa Libertadores. What do you remember from that time?

I had already retired from soccer and Lucho Santibáñez (Chilean DT who won the 1985 national title with Barcelona) came looking for me to pair with (Severino) Vasconcelos. I really didn’t want to go, but Galo Roggiero convinced me to play only Libertadores. We had a very good Cup and I performed in the phase for which I committed myself (in the end it was only the first two games of Group 4: 3-3 with the chullas and 1-1 with Coritiba, both in Guayaquil).

Santibáñez and De los Santos were separated after 3-3 with Quito. What happened?

Santibáñez left first and then De los Santos; I imagine that (his contracts) was also only for the Cup. One of the problems I had with Roggiero was that he invited me to eat at his house, which he had not done with any other footballer, and he told me: “You are a different player, who thinks, with whom you can talk about many issues ”. I told him that this happened because he was a university student. He replied: “Now I have you here because you have to sign a new contract.” New contract for what, I told him. Roggiero explained to me that he wanted me to stay the whole year to also play in the national championship. I said: “No, I only got engaged for the Libertadores.” We had an exchange of words, but he did not convince me.

What can you tell me about your colleagues from that time?

I always see Vasconcelos here (they also played together in Colo Colo). It is a pity the death of some colleagues from that Barcelona (such as Carlos Luis Morales). We are at the age when we can already die. Before we only talked about soccer; Now about the discomfort, what’s in the knees, ankles, the prostate, and a bit of football (smiles).

What is the best thing that you took from your time in Barcelona?

The affection of the people of the Idol. Wherever I went with my family, I always received incredible affection and respect. I quite liked that. Barcelona is the most popular team in Ecuador and that is felt everywhere. But that respect, which I feel up to now, I remember fondly.

Did you see Barcelona’s campaign in Libertadores 2021?

He played very well, but in the semifinals he made mistakes that cost him dearly. Barcelona was a candidate to be a finalist from the first round.

What do you do now?

I am a journalist and teacher (of Physical Education. He studied both majors. Between 2014 and 2015 he was a press attaché at the Chilean Embassy in Madrid). I am now retired. (D)