Following Venezuela’s 2nd place finish in the 2017 U-20 World Cup, a soccer revival for the South American nation appeared to be on the horizon.
Venezuela seemed primed to both bolster its national team and domestic leagues.
As Nicolás Maduro’s socialist Venezuelan regime continues to collapse — killing dozens and arbitrarily detaining over 5,000 — young talents have begun to flee the nation, most notably for Major Leauge Soccer.
For NYCFC fans, this migration has lead to the one-year acquisition of midfielder Yangel Herrera.
Herrera, the captain of Venezuela’s runner-up side at this year’s U-20 World Cup, spent three years in the Venezuelan league, playing for Monagas SC and Atlético Venezuela.