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Las Tunas' goalkeeper Sandy Sanchez

Defender Sandro Cutiño is back, and the goalkeeper Sandy Sánchez must be the starter again, after both were announced in the list of 23 players with whom Cuba will assume two friendly matches against Nicaragua, scheduled for the FIFA dates next October 7 and 10.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- After being left out of the last calls, the tall defender from Las Tunas returns to the orders of the technical director Pablo Elier Sánchez, who justified his return, along with the Pinar del Río goalkeeper Elier Pozo and the Ciego de Ávila scorer Sander "Keko" Fernández, arguing that “all are of proven quality. For basic reasons, you have to decide between one and the other, taking into account technical and formal elements. Only 22 or 23 footballers make up the final list, but I have said that the group is larger and they all play an important role, so they always count.”

The decision of the Cuban DT could respond can respond to Sandro's multi-match starting role in his farewell to Porto Velho, a Serie D club (4th division) of the highly competitive Brazilian soccer with which he won the Rondonia state championship last July.

Curiously, goalkeeper Sandy Sánchez, who started five years ago with the National Team, has barely had minutes on the courts of the South American Giant; while his teammates Cutiño and Keko Fernández, with much less international filming, have played various matches.

At the moment, the three footballers are already backing at their club, the Navegantes Esporte Clube in the state of Santa Catarina, with which they signed their contracts at the end of the previous year. The team (which also welcomes Cubans Elier Pozo and Dariel Morejón) is preparing to play the Serie C Championship of Santa Catarina from this Sunday until the end of November, aspiring to achieve the promotion to the second division of the state tournament.

NOTABLE ABSENCES

Beyond the aforementioned returns and the new call-up of forwarding Onel Hernández, current Middlesbrough player in England's second division, notable absences in the call-up are striking.

This time, Santiago’s goalkeeper Nelson Johnston, who is injured, will not be there, nor will three players who play soccer in the United States, for reasons of "immigration update." These are the cases of goalkeeper Raico Arozarena, winger Jorge Luis Corrales, and midfielder Dayron Reyes.

In this regard, Pablo Elier declared to JIT Digital that “there is a group of regular players and another that trains in Cuba. Everyone counts," while he considered positive that these figures "understand the role they play and that everyone is eligible. It also benefits that they can have minutes as far as possible, to demonstrate their quality.”

After its brief World Cup adventure, in which it could not advance beyond the first round, and having been deprived of the possibility of winning a place in the Gold Cup, the National Team plans to further establish its new identity, nucleated in around a group of talented players and eager to change the negative dynamics of recent years.

“First, there is respect for the rival and then the importance of continuing to create dynamism on the ground. We have commitments soon, and we must take every opportunity to model in the game before the Nations League and the rest of the competitions that await us. We cannot afford to give up competing beyond what is at stake. You have to instill in the boys the hunger for triumph," the Cuban technical director added.

CALL-UP LIST

Goalkeepers: Sandy Sánchez Mustelier and Elier Pozo Ballona (Navegantes EC / Brazil).
Defenders: Modesto Méndez Amador (Fort Lauderdale / United States), Carlos Alberto Vázquez Fernández (Bergantiños FC / Spain), Yosel Piedra Guillén (AD Chalatenango / El Salvador), Dariel Alejandro Morejón Rodríguez and Sandro Cutiño Castellanos (Navegantes EC / Brazil), Asmel Núñez Artiles (FC Ciego de Ávila / Cuba), and Osniel Ramos Pérez (FC Artemisa / Cuba).

Midfielders: Davide Fabrizio Incerti Peralta (Ternana / Italy), Karel Aldair Espino Contreras (Communications FC / Guatemala), Yúnior Yuri Pérez Pérez (FC Guantánamo / Cuba), Arichel Hernández Mora (Universidad O & M / Dominican Republic), Joel Apesteguía Hijuelos (Virtus Acquaviva / San Marino), Rolando Domingo Abreu Canela (FC Santiago de Cuba / Cuba), Lázaro Daniel Monzón Lorenzo (FC Villa Clara / Cuba) and Yasnier Matos Rodríguez (CSD Municipal II / Guatemala).

Forwards: Sánder Fernández Cervantes (Navegantes EC / Brazil), Luis Javier Paradela Díaz (Santos de Guapiles / Costa Rica), Onel Lázaro Hernández Mayea (Middlesbrough / England), Maykel Alejandro Reyes Azcuy (CD Real Sociedad / Honduras), Daniel Díaz Quiala (FC La Habana / Cuba) and William Pozo Venta (Nottoden FK / Norway).