Marked for Leonardo Osorio
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Player ratings1 May 2028
A defender's goal wins it for Zulia — 7.92
1 for Pedro Valdés, marked 7.92, and a centre-half's name in the part of the report he normally only reaches by mistake. He will not be allowed to forget it in the dressing room for a month.
Match29 Apr 2028
The wait goes on for Zulia
4 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.
Squad1 May 2028
A falling-out at Zulia
José Rondón and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Player ratings1 May 2028
Nobody could get near Alan Coria
Successful dribbles: 16. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Match29 Apr 2028
A 1‑1 draw with Trujillanos leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
Squad1 May 2028
A row about effort at Zulia
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Kevin Díaz was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout1 May 2028
“It is not the end of the world and it is not good enough. Both of those are true.” The manager, after a 1‑1 draw, said the honest thing and then went to say it again inside.
The dugout1 May 2028
The manager makes an example of Leonardo Osorio
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Looking ahead1 May 2028
Every squad has one of these fixtures for somebody every season. This one is Luis Terán’s: the club that knew him first, the supporters who will decide in the first minute whether to applaud, and Zulia needing him to play as if none of it matters.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The terraces17 Jan 2028
The mood at Zulia has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
Boardroom17 Jan 2028
Pressure builds in the Zulia boardroom
The directors have stopped offering the manager public warmth. In football that is usually the stage before the short statement.
Match17 Jan 2028
Zulia sink to position 16
18 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.
Market17 Jan 2028
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad17 Jan 2028
Stifensón Pérez falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad17 Jan 2028
A falling-out at Zulia
Alan Coria and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
The dugout17 Jan 2028
A conversation in the manager’s office, and a commitment that came out of it. Promises like that are cheap to make and expensive to break, and Leonardo Osorio has written the date down.
Market17 Jan 2028
Zulia have made Jesús Rengel available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.
Market17 Jan 2028
Still no signature from Edixon Mena
7 months left and the two sides are nowhere near each other. Every week this drags on takes money off what Zulia could get for him.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market10 Jan 2028
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Zulia, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad10 Jan 2028
A falling-out at Zulia
Jorge Páez and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Transfer targets10 Jan 2028
The approach was made and the answer came back in a sentence. There is no number on the table because there was no number that would have been enough.
Transfer targets10 Jan 2028
A deal that was a phone call from completion at lunchtime was dead by midnight. Zulia will try again when the window opens; Trujillanos may not be selling by then.
Squad10 Jan 2028
Words at Zulia training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Stifensón Pérez is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout10 Jan 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout10 Jan 2028
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Santiago Herrera is on it.
Squad10 Jan 2028
Nerves in the Zulia squad
Jorge Páez has been around long enough to know what the spring feels like when it goes wrong, and he can feel it. A dressing room that is frightened plays like one.
Market10 Jan 2028
The José Rondón story refuses to die
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until José Rondón signs something — a contract at Zulia or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad13 Dec 2027
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Zulia will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Market13 Dec 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Transfer targets13 Dec 2027
The deal with Mineros de Guayana is done in every sense but the one that puts him on the pitch. Nothing goes wrong at this stage, except on the occasions when it does.
Squad13 Dec 2027
Words exchanged at Zulia
Jorge Páez and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Transfer targets13 Dec 2027
The approach was made and the answer came back in a sentence. There is no number on the table because there was no number that would have been enough.
Squad13 Dec 2027
Luis Blanco is not the player he was
It happens to all of them and it is still the hardest paragraph a local paper has to write. 34 years old, 3 points down on where he was, and a body that has started charging interest on a career.
Market13 Dec 2027
Stifensón Pérez is free to find somewhere else
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Zulia has been clear about where Stifensón Pérez stands, which is more than many ever get.
Squad13 Dec 2027
“I have done everything asked of me in training and it has not changed a thing on a Saturday.” The most familiar complaint in football, and one Zulia will have to answer with minutes or with a transfer.
The dugout13 Dec 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The terraces22 Nov 2027
The mood at Zulia has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
Squad22 Nov 2027
30 days out for Jhon González after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Zulia will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Boardroom22 Nov 2027
Pressure builds in the Zulia boardroom
The directors have stopped offering the manager public warmth. In football that is usually the stage before the short statement.
Match22 Nov 2027
Every point is an argument now for Zulia
Position 16 and 18 points, and the table gets read bottom-up in this part of town. The calendar has stopped being a schedule and started being a countdown.
Market22 Nov 2027
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Zulia, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad22 Nov 2027
Tempers go at Zulia
Jorge Páez was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout22 Nov 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Miguel Umbría, and the manager let it.
The dugout22 Nov 2027
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Santiago Herrera is on it.
The dugout22 Nov 2027
He asked about his future and was given an answer with minutes in it. The manager has now made a promise in a building where promises are remembered, and the clock on it has started.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad15 Nov 2027
Jhon González breaks a bone — 37 days out
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 37 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
The dugout15 Nov 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Jhon González, and the manager let it.
Squad15 Nov 2027
Words at Zulia training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Stifensón Pérez is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The terraces25 Oct 2027
The mood at Zulia has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
Squad25 Oct 2027
Jhon González breaks a bone — 60 days out
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 60 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
Boardroom25 Oct 2027
The scrutiny sharpens at Zulia
Nobody upstairs has said anything, which is the loudest thing they could do. Results buy silence in this game; the account at Zulia is running low.
Match25 Oct 2027
Zulia are in real trouble now
Position 16, 18 points, and a fixture list with fewer games left in it than excuses. The arithmetic is not cruel yet, but it has stopped being kind.
Market25 Oct 2027
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Zulia, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad25 Oct 2027
Tempers go at Zulia
Jorge Páez was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad25 Oct 2027
A row about effort at Zulia
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Stifensón Pérez was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Market25 Oct 2027
“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Daniel Maripan has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at Zulia.
The dugout25 Oct 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Leonardo Osorio, and the manager let it.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad11 Oct 2027
A fracture rules Jhon González out for 76 days
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Zulia will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Squad11 Oct 2027
A falling-out at Zulia
Stifensón Pérez and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
The dugout11 Oct 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout11 Oct 2027
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
The dugout11 Oct 2027
Daniel Maripan knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Zulia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market11 Oct 2027
The José Rondón story refuses to die
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until José Rondón signs something — a contract at Zulia or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The terraces27 Sep 2027
The mood at Zulia has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
Squad27 Sep 2027
A fracture rules Jhon González out for 90 days
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Zulia will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Match27 Sep 2027
Zulia are in real trouble now
Position 16, 18 points, and a fixture list with fewer games left in it than excuses. The arithmetic is not cruel yet, but it has stopped being kind.
Boardroom27 Sep 2027
Pressure builds in the Zulia boardroom
The directors have stopped offering the manager public warmth. In football that is usually the stage before the short statement.
Market27 Sep 2027
José Rondón hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Zulia can pretend not to have heard.
The dugout27 Sep 2027
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Zulia may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad27 Sep 2027
A row about effort at Zulia
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Stifensón Pérez was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad27 Sep 2027
No place for Jesús Yépez in the new shape
He is not being dropped. There is simply nowhere in the formation Zulia are playing to put a man who does what he does, which is a harder thing to be told than any team sheet.
The dugout27 Sep 2027
Jhon González knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Jhon González trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The terraces30 Aug 2027
The mood at Zulia has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
Squad30 Aug 2027
121 days out for Jhon González after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Zulia will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Match30 Aug 2027
Zulia are in real trouble now
Position 16, 18 points, and a fixture list with fewer games left in it than excuses. The arithmetic is not cruel yet, but it has stopped being kind.
Market30 Aug 2027
José Rondón hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Zulia can pretend not to have heard.
Boardroom30 Aug 2027
The silence upstairs is getting loud at Zulia
Nobody on the board has said anything against the manager, which is the point — they have stopped saying anything for him either.
Squad30 Aug 2027
Tempers go at Zulia
Jorge Páez was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout30 Aug 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Jhon González, and the manager let it.
The dugout30 Aug 2027
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Stifensón Pérez trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
The dugout30 Aug 2027
Santiago Herrera has become a man the manager trusts
Nobody at Zulia will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match10 Apr 2027
No end in sight to Zulia's wait for a win
9 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Zulia has to find a result from somewhere.
Player ratings12 Apr 2027
Jorge Páez runs at them all day
Successful dribbles: 24. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad12 Apr 2027
Words exchanged at Zulia
Jorge Páez and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad12 Apr 2027
Jesús Rengel falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout12 Apr 2027
The manager makes an example of Luis Caicedo
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match10 Apr 2027
Atletico Venezuela left with the points after a 0‑1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
The dugout12 Apr 2027
Clubs make promises constantly and the page usually only hears about them when they are broken. This one was honoured, and the dressing room noticed that faster than any supporter did.
The dugout12 Apr 2027
“We were not good enough today and I am not going to dress it up.” Francisco Machis after 0‑1, in the tone of a man who knows the next question and does not intend to answer it.
The dugout12 Apr 2027
Joantony Carmona has become a man the manager trusts
Nobody at Zulia will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad3 Aug 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Huracan del Paso this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad3 Aug 2026
Federico Alonso falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Market3 Aug 2026
49 months left and silence from upstairs — no offer, no talks, nothing for his people to answer. Clubs that let a calendar do their negotiating usually end up negotiating with the calendar.
Squad3 Aug 2026
9 new faces, and Huracan del Paso are still learning each other
A squad rebuilt inside one window pays for it in a currency nobody budgets for. The football is not worse than the sum of the players; it is worse than the sum of the players who have played together before.
The dugout3 Aug 2026
Keiner Pérez knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Keiner Pérez trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.