The coach of the Bolivian basketball team, Giovanni Vargas, has determined the starting lineup for the match against Ecuador for the 2023 World Cup qualifiers, which will be held next Saturday in Tarija, starting at 8:00 pm.

This will be the first of the two matches between the two, and the rematch will be held on the 17th of this month in Guayaquil.

The select team held a practice match on Tuesday afternoon at the Guadalquivir Coliseum that served Vargas to determine the starting line-up consisting of Ronald Arze, Créthien Camargo, Armando Chuck, Joshua Reeves and Arnold Mercado.

Regarding the La Verde game, DT Vargas commented: “In the game you have to be careful in defensive rebounds, because that is one of our shortcomings; we also have to be well prepared on the pitch, in defensive rotation and be attentive when assisting.” While the main virtue of the selectors is the offensive game, the coach said.

Team game is an essential aspect of the Bolivian team. “In a 1 x 1 game they can beat us, but by cooperating in every game they can face Ecuador, which because of their experience and friction are the key favorites,” Vargas said.

In these days before the match, the workload of the national team is reduced, they train in the morning from 10:00 to 12:30 and in the afternoon from 15:00 to 17:00; While the videos are watched at night after dinner.

The game will be played with an audience, the Guadalquivir Coliseum has a capacity of 5,000 spectators, the local authorities of the Bolivian Basketball Federation (FBB) have authorized the sale of 2,000 tickets, general tickets cost 100 Bolivians and numbered seats cost 150 Bolivians.

“The presence of an audience is very important, and it always puts pressure on the referee to be neutral and balanced, and it is also a motivation for our players,” said the coach, who is optimistic about the victory.

As for the competitor, on Thursday Ecuador will arrive in La Paz, spend the night at the President Hotel, and on Friday will head to Tarija.