The Zulia Chronicle
Player ratings19 Jul 2027
No sign of nerves from Victor Ramirez at 20 — 8.02
The hardest thing about being 20 in a senior side is that nobody makes allowances. Victor Ramirez did not need any: 8.02, and he looked the most comfortable man on the pitch.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Remember the name: Chris Martínez
He is 20, he is averaging 7.03, and older professionals have started passing to him in the difficult minutes. That last part is the real scouting report.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Junior Castillo in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Zulia this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match17 Jul 2027
Zulia get the job done against Atletico Venezuela
A 3‑1 win over Atletico Venezuela, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
The terraces19 Jul 2027
The crowd has taken to Chris Martínez
At 20 he is being sung about by people twice his age, which is an affection a signing has to earn over years and a local kid gets for turning up. It is also the hardest thing in football to live up to.
Player ratings19 Jul 2027
Gabriel Gonzalez was on a different afternoon to everybody else
8.02. There are performances a supporter describes to somebody who was not there and cannot quite convey; this was one, and the number does not help either.
Squad19 Jul 2027
David Castillo out for 36 days
The medical room confirms 36 days on the sidelines for David Castillo, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Squad19 Jul 2027
The manager makes an example of Rafael Castillo
“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.
Market19 Jul 2027
The Roberto Herrera conversation is coming
Everyone has stopped pretending: Portuguesa will make the call about Roberto Herrera this week. Zulia have a number in mind, and the number is not shy.
In brief
- Player ratings Roberto Herrera changes it off the bench
- Player ratings Roberto Soteldo runs at them all day