Debut in the Red: Keys to the Defeat

Cuba started the U-23 World Cup badly, and the wound is in the bat. A single hit is not enough to win, and the not-inconsiderable figure of thirteen strikeouts confirms it. South Korea took the 3-2 without shining.

The blow hurts because of what the Antilleans let slip away. The Asians committed three errors, two in the second inning. The Island scored barely two runs. There was a lack of killer instinct before the rival’s gift.

The Cuban batters drew five walks, and no one drove them in. The offense showed patience but found no answer.

The first deficiency is at the plate. Hanyelo Videt struck out three times. Yasser Izaguirre, twice. Almost the entire lineup saw the third strike fall.

It was necessary to shorten the swing with two strikes. Neither the bunt nor the runner in motion appeared either. The South Koreans did execute a bunt in the fifth, and it worked for them.

The second deficiency is on the mound. A wild pitch helped the Korean tie. Randy Martínez issued two walks. The last one, with the bases loaded, decided the game. In an extra inning, the walk is the worst ally.

José Ignacio Bermúdez showed another face. He struck out eight in 4.2 innings and established himself as a bulwark on the mound to keep the Caribbeans afloat.

The bullpen, on the other hand, needs to rise to his level. Fher Cejas allowed two hits in two-thirds.

The defense left a favorable statistic: a single error. That statistic serves as a starting point.

In the tournament, the meaning is clear. Group B brings together six teams. Only three advance to the super round. The Cuban squad started at a disadvantage. The margin for error is already short.

Japan arrives as the big favorite. Venezuela weighs heavily. Great Britain and South Africa are obligatory games. Our players are seeking their first medal in the category.

In 2020 they finished in fourth place. That position remains in sight, but it demands winning almost everything.

The solution must come immediately. Guillermo Carmona and his coaching staff can act now.

First, adjust the offensive plan: contact over power, effective bunts, running and batting plays, and a pitch down the middle with two strikes. The decision should not be left in the umpire’s hands.

It is also worth noting that, according to the television broadcast, the home plate umpire showed a fairly wide strike zone.

A separate mention is deserved by the two magnificent plays by second baseman Carlos Nieto, which kept alive the possibility of winning until the last moment.

An old baseball axiom states: when you don’t make them, they make them on you. Cuba did not take advantage of the tiebreaker rule and left the score immovable. Korea, without fully shining, played its baseball and brought the circumstances onto its own ground.

There is no use crying over spilled milk. There is still room to steer the ship, and our young men have the talent and heart to achieve it. Talent does not vanish in one game; time, however, does run. The World Cup is only just beginning.