These six Latin American coaches have imposed a style of play, thus becoming benchmarks of the tournament's highest selections

In Latin America there are six technical directors who made history in the soccer world championship by setting several records. These are the Colombian Hernán Darío 'Bolillo' Gómez, the Argentine José Pékerman, the Uruguayan Óscar Tabárez, and the Brazilians Carlos Alberto Parreira, Mário Zagallo, and Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Leer en español: Seis técnicos latinoamericanos que han dejado su huella en los Mundiales de Fútbol

Each of these directors has had the opportunity to participate in several World Cup events and have completed major campaigns with their teams. Regarding the 2018 Russia World Cup, 'Bolillo' Gómez will lead Panama, Pékerman will continue his work as the technical director of Colombia, and the 'Maestro' Tabárez will be on the bench with the Uruguayans.

Three World Cups as a coach and two as an assistant

Hernán Gómez was the technical assistant of Francisco Maturana in the Colombia National Team that participated in the World Cup in 1990 in Italy and in 1994 in the United States. Later he became the coach of Colombia and classified the 'Tricolor' to the 1998 World Cup in France.

Later, Ecuador became interested in his services and the 'Bolillo' brought the Ecuadorians to the World Cup for the first time, after qualifying them for the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup. Currently, according to a report in the newspaper El Colombiano, Gómez managed to carry Panama to its first World Cup, where it will face England, Belgium and Tunisia.

The Bolavip portal highlighted the work of the 'Bolillo' Gómez, assuring that he is the hero of teams like Ecuador and Panama, since it generated an identity to the soccer of these countries.

With great world-wide experience

According to the Goal website, the Argentine José Pekerman has had the opportunity to direct 44 matches between youth and senior world championships. According to a report in the newspaper La Nación, the coach is 78% effective, since he won 33 games and tied 4.

The current coach of Colombia was coach of the Argentina National Team in Germany 2006 and reached the quarterfinal phase in which the 'albiceleste' team was eliminated by the Germans. In Brazil 2014, the Argentine headed to Colombia and classified the south american team to the quarterfinals, this being the best campaign of the 'Tricolor' in the World Cup.

You can also read: Brazil and Uruguay: The most likely countries to have a finalist in the Copa Sudamericana 

A record man

The Brazilian strategist Carlos Alberto Parreira participated in six World Cup events, beating the Serbian Bora Milutinović. The Azteca Deportes portal indicated that Parreira had his World Cup debut in Spain 1982, year in which he directed Kuwait. Later he was with the team of the Arab Emirates in Italy 1990.

In the United States 1994, the Brazilian reached the top after crowned world champion with the 'verdeamarela' team after defeating Italy in the final. He later became the coach of Saudi Arabia in France 1998, but he was fired in the heat of the competition after being defeated twice.

The Brazilian National Team gave him the opportunity to return, so in the 2006 World Cup in Germany he was the coach of the Brazilian team, but France eliminated them in the quarterfinals. The online newspaper Marca said that Parreira continued his career with South Africa and was in charge of leading the team in the World Cup that took place in that country in 2010. Later he was the assistant of Luiz Felipe Scolari in Brazil 2014, World in which the 'verdeamarela' team finished in the fourth place.

Four World Cup dates

The 'Maestro' Óscar Washington Tabárez will direct his fourth World Cup with the Uruguayan team in Russia 2018, this being the only team he has been with. MVS News said that the director had his World Cup debut with the 'celeste' in Italy 1990, where the Uruguayans were eliminated by Italy in the round of 16 with a final score of 2-0.

After not qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the Uruguayan was again appointed coach of the Uruguayan team, which led to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where Uruguay showed a great level when they finished in fourth place. In the Uruguayan team they bet on continuity, which is why Tabárez once again directed the team in Brazil 2014, where they were eliminated in the round of sixteen by Colombia.

You may be interested in: Venezuela and Guatemala: the countries that dream of reaching the World Cup 

A veteran strategist

Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo led Brazil in Mexico 1970 and was the assistant of Carlos Alberto Parreira in 1994, winning two world titles. The Brazilian was coach of the Canarinha in France 1998 and reached the final. The team finally fell 3-0 with the 'blues', after a great performance by the French coach Zinedine Zidane.

As a player, Zagallo won two titles at the World Championships in Sweden 1958 and Chile 1962. So, the Brazilian has had the luxury of winning the World Cup as a soccer player and a coach. According to the star Ronaldo to the Fútbol Táctico magazine, "Zagallo wrote a golden page in Brazilian soccer".

Champion and two fourth places

The Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari participated in three World Cup appointments as a coach, after being in Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014. With Brazil he was crowned world champion in the orbital event of Korea/Japan, where Ronaldo consolidated himself as a scorer with eight annotations.

In addition, it obtained two fourth places in Germany 2006 with the Selection of Portugal and in Brazil 2014 with the 'Canarinha', highlighted the newspaper Marca. Scolari is the first coach in the history of the World Cup to achieve 11 consecutive victories, seven won with Brazil in Korea/Japan 2002 and four with Portugal in Germany 2006, according to EcuRed.

Data

• Hernán Darío 'Bolillo' Gómez qualified three different national teams for a World Cup
• José Pékerman gave him the opportunity to debut Lionel Messi at the 2006 World Cup in Germany
• Carlos Alberto Parreira directed 24 matches in soccer world cup
• Óscar Washington Tabárez is the coach with the most matches in a national team
• Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo was a companion of Brazil in the World Cup of Korea/Japan 2002 and gave motivational talks to the players
• In his second stage as coach of Brazil, Scolari led 29 games and achieved 19 wins, 6 draws and adjusted 4 defeats
   

Latin American Post | Daniel Cuevas

Translated from "Seis técnicos latinoamericanos que han dejado su huella en los Mundiales de Fútbol"