Midfielder Daniel Pereira, number one in the MLS draft in 2021, was called up this Friday for the first time by the Venezuelan national team for the friendlies against Honduras and Guatemala, in the United States. The games will be on the 15th and 18th of June.
“Vinotinto”’s bet on Pereira, 22 years old, comes true at a time when solutions are being sought for his legal situation. The young player arrived in the United States in 2015 with his parents, taking refuge through the status of political exile, which does not allow him to travel outside the US territory.
“It’s an incredible honor to have the chance to represent my country for the first time on the international stage,” said the all-round midfielder in remarks posted on his club’s website, Austin FC.
“This call-up is a career dream come true and I am grateful to my family, friends, teammates and coaches who have helped me along the way,” he added.
The games against Honduras and Guatemala will be played, respectively, at Audi Field, in Washington DC, and at Rentschler Field, in East Hartford (Connecticut). Both will be a good opportunity for the coach of Venezuela, the Argentine Fernando ‘Bocha’ Batista, to have a first contact with the player in a concentration.
Included in a list headed by Tomás Rincón, Salomón Rondón and Yangel Herrera, Pereira is making his third MLS season for Austin, in which he started all 15 games for his team, which will face Real Salt Lake this Saturday. Venezuela had been showing interest in summoning him.
“The tools are being sought,” declared the president of the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF), Jorge Giménez, in an interview with AFP last year.
A first legal advance was made in 2022 in the MLS, with an authorization processed by Austin so that Pereira could travel to the team’s games in Canada, a country with three franchises in the American league: Montreal, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps.
“Dani has performed well during his time at Austin FC. His level and consistency are exemplary, especially for a player his age,” said Sean Rubio, Sporting Director for the Texas team, celebrating his call-up. “We are very happy for him.”
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
