VALPARAISO, Chile — When Gabriel Cichero played soccer for the Red Bulls in 2008, he sometimes socialized with his fellow Venezuelans Johan Santana, who was playing for the Mets at the time, and Bobby Abreu, who was a Yankee.
Back then, Santana and Abreu were among the most successful Venezuelan sports stars, making millions of dollars in Major League Baseball. Cichero and his fellow soccer players struggled to gain recognition, even at home.
Now Cichero and his teammates on the Venezuelan national team have muscled their way into the limelight. Venezuela’s stunning 1-0 victory over Colombia in the Copa América last week invigorated the troubled country and highlighted its rise in the soccer world.