Last update November 6, 2024 by Alberto Llopis
Bolivia It is not a team used to being in the big world events. In fact, the Bolivian team has only managed to qualify for a final phase of the World Cup. It was in the edition of 1994, held in United States. we remember her.
As we say, even though The Bolivians They have participated in three World Cups (Uruguay 1930 Y 1950 Y U.S 1994), only in the latter did it manage to qualify on its own merits. The Spanish fans who lived football with passion in those times, We perfectly remember that team dressed in green as they faced the Spanish team led by Javier Clemente.
Xabier Azkagorta's miracle in Bolivia in the USA 94
A figure was key to achieving that historic classification of the Bolivians that allowed them to face each other with teams such as Spain or Germany: Xabier Azkargorta. The Basque coach became myth and legend in the country for guiding the South American team to a success that, Today, has not been repeated.
The popularity of Azkargorta in Bolivian lands it was such, that the then president of the nation, Sanchez de Lozada, offered by the Ministry of Education, Health and Sport, something that the Spanish coach declined.
Since he took the reins of the Bolivian team in 1993, Azkargorta set out to classify his team to play the World US. At first, everyone thought it was crazy about the new technician, but nevertheless, over time, it was seen that it was a real possibility to the point of being fulfilled to the delight of an entire country.
That team was a very compact block in which players such as Marco Etcheverry, Erwin Sánchez, Julius Caesar Baldivieso or William Branch, among others. All of them were able to defeat, nothing more and nothing less, that Brazil for 2-0 in the World Cup qualifying phase in a match played in La Paz.
The Short Tour in USA 94 of Marco Etcheverry, The great star of Bolivian
The debut Bolivia in that historic world it was against the reigning champion, Germany. But nevertheless, Frame "the devil" Etcheverry, One of the great Bolivian football figures throughout its history, He had a brief and unfortunate participation in the United States World Cup 1994.
The Bolivian team qualified for this World Cup after excellent performance in the qualifiers, With Etcheverry as one of his great protagonists. But nevertheless, In the first game of the tournament, in front of Germany, His participation was drastically reduced due to unexpected expulsion.
Etcheverry, that returned from an injury, He entered the game in the minute 79 To try to reverse the score against (1-0 In favor of Germany). But nevertheless, shortly after entering, He was expelled for a lack of German Lothar Matthäus.
It was a direct red card, that surprised many and left the Bolivians without their star player for the rest of that match and the following. This expulsion meant the end of his participation in the tournament, since the South American team failed to move from the group stage.
Early elimination was a hard blow for the Bolivian team and for Etcheverry, who lost the opportunity to show his talent on the biggest stage of world football.
The second match pitted the Bolivians against South Korea. Again, the South Americans suffered an expulsion but, this time, they got a meritorious tie that left them with options for the last group match against Spain.
But nevertheless, the team led by Javier Clemente, got a clear victory for 3-1 that left Bolivians out. Erwin Sánchez He was in charge of scoring the only goal for his team in the World Cup.
The fact that so many years have passed since Bolivia will play his last world, It does nothing but magnify the difficulty and merit of that feat.. We'll see if something like this happens again in the near future..
