The inclusion in its roster of three players from Holguín, headed by the talented Cristian Valiente, has raised the expectations of local fans around the Las Tunas indoor soccer team, which will begin its journey through the second phase of the National League on Saturday, receiving Santiago de Cuba at the Leonardo McKenzie Grant Sports Hall.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- After fighting until the last day for their passage to the elite stage, in a pitched battle with the Camagüey squad, in group C, the players from Las Tunas are preparing to face a much bigger challenge, with an extensive schedule that includes 18 games against the strong teams of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Ciego de Ávila.
To face such a challenge, the coaching staff of the green and black team chose three reinforcements from the neighboring province of Holguín. Andrés Zaldívar and Jorge Mulet arrive to strengthen the defensive system, while Valiente will bring his magic to the attack zone.
Cristian already knows what it is to represent Las Tunas since he played here as a reinforcement during the Clausura Soccer Tournament, in 2022. The player from Holguin comes from being national runner-up in the Clausura 2023, and will not be able to play the full schedule because he must join the Cuban squad for the CONCACAF Nations League on August 14.
“Even if he has to go to the national team, we prefer that Cristian play these eight games for us before August 14. Of them, six will be here in Las Tunas, and four against Santiago de Cuba, so we think he can help us get some victories in that time," Alain Delfín, the provincial soccer commissioner, told 26.
“I think it is more profitable to have a player of Cristian's quality for eight games than another full-time athlete of less level,” Delfín added.
The second phase of the National Indoor Soccer League will be played divided into the western and eastern zones, with three rounds in which subseries of two games will take place, always on Saturdays at 3:00 pm and Sundays, at 10:00 in the morning. According to the calendar, and after a last-minute change requested by Santiago de Cuba, Las Tunas will debut at home this weekend and will remain in the "McKenzie Grant" for another 15 days, to receive Ciego de Ávila and the current Cuban runner-up, the Granma team.
Of the 18 scheduled matches, Las Tunas will hold 10 at home and the rest on the road, before the two eastern candidates for the title are defined. For the western key, the current champion Havana is accompanied by Pinar del Río, Matanzas, and Industriales, the second representative of the capital.
