A few days ago, Ricardo Belli announced the list of 26 players called up to face the first two matches of the Women's Nations League, where Venezuela will face Chile and Paraguay. This tournament, in addition to marking the start of a new competitive cycle, could mean a historic path to the first Senior World Cup for the Vinotinto women's team. Expectations are high, but questions also arise.

At first glance, the list is surprising due to its renewal compared to the 2025 Copa América and recent friendlies. It features five U-17 players and one born in 2006, in addition to eight players who have been called up from the local FUTVE tournament. This move seems to make it clear that Belli is committed to a generational change, seeking freshness, projection, and new alternatives for the future.

However, the big question arises: Is a World Cup qualifier the ideal scenario for this change? The debate is valid because, although renewal is necessary, these competitions require experience, cohesion, and tactical maturity, factors that often make the difference at decisive moments.

Among the good news is the return of Lourdes Moreno, who arrives with continuity at Grêmio in Brazil, and Sonia O'Neill, currently in the Canadian league. While the latter is not a highly competitive league, I am excited about her return and know that she will play a great role in the defensive line.

But there are also names that stand out for their absence. The failure to call up Ysaura Viso, one of Venezuela's most outstanding players in the Copa Libertadores Femenina, and Oriana Altuve, Vinotinto's top scorer in the Copa América, raises more than a few questions about the selection criteria. Both represent experience and goalscoring ability, two factors that could be vital in such a demanding qualifying phase.

If we compare the starting eleven with that of the last Copa América, the core seems to remain the same. However, the depth of the bench is the major weak point. In a long competition lasting eight rounds, this lack of experienced substitutes could take its toll.

Ricardo Belli has demonstrated a clear game plan: possession, order, and clean play from the back, a style that we have already seen bear fruit against powerhouses such as Colombia and Brazil. Now the challenge will be to maintain that identity against direct rivals in a longer and more demanding phase.

One of the problems that has historically affected our national teams, both men's and women's, is the lack of continuity in the starting lineup. Belli needs to consolidate a stable foundation, which is essential if he wants to compete with teams that already have longer and more defined processes.

The Nations League is not only a new competitive challenge: it is also a showcase to test the maturity of this Vinotinto project. If this commitment to change works, Venezuela could not only secure its qualification, but also consolidate a golden generation for the coming years.

I know that women's soccer still does not receive all the attention it deserves, but this call-up makes it clear that the Vinotinto women's team is in full evolution. I would love to hear your opinions on these first two dates of the tournament, and later on, we will delve deeper into the analysis of Chile and Paraguay, our initial rivals on this exciting road to the World Cup dream.

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