Team Venezuela manager Omar Lopez emphasized the broader impact of his team’s World Baseball Classic run following its semifinal win against Italy, framing the upcoming championship game as an opportunity to deliver joy to fans back home.
“This is a dream come true for me,” Lopez said, as reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “What could I do to give some joy to my country? In Venezuela we have over 30 million people that are willing to see Venezuela winning, and I'll find a way to do that together with my people.”
Venezuela advanced to the World Baseball Classic final for the first time with a 4-2 win over Italy on Monday night, setting up a championship matchup against the United States. The win marked a milestone for the program, which had previously reached the semifinals only once, in 2009 against South Korea, per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press.
Lopez’s comments reflected the emotional weight of the moment for both the team and its supporters. With the final approaching, he said his focus on representing Venezuela and the impact the team’s success can have beyond the field.
“God willing, we want to give that joy to the people,” Lopez said. “That would make us very happy because that way we would be contributing to the mental health, life for our people in Venezuela.”
The final will feature two teams with identical 5-1 records in the tournament. The United States, which won a coin toss to determine home-field designation, will face a Venezuelan team seeking its first World Baseball Classic title.
