Estadio El Campin Sunday, May 21st, 2000 k/o 18:00   World Cup Qualifier Attendance: 45,000         Colombia 3-0 Venezuela
1999 /00

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The stadium was a roofless bowl but very impressive with a full attendance. Even more impressive was the view across the stadium to the Andes mountains rising up just a couple of miles away. My seat was high up just in front of the glassed-in media gallery. In there was the radio commentator who could be seen but not heard. It was nevertheless evident, when a goal was scored, that he was less than impartial, clearly expressing his joy in a very animated fashion. Venezuela were useless. They were accustomed to be being beaten, and usually finished 10th in the 10-team South American World Cup Qualifying round-robin. Colombia were adequate, and won comfortably 3-0. The highlight was the appearance off the bench of the fattest footballer I had ever seen, one Ivan Valenciano. The fans clearly loved him and were overjoyed when he scored Colombia''s 3rd goal. Wikipedia now shows that he was the 2nd highest goalscorer ever in the Colombian League and played 29 times for his country. It also notes that he was known in Colombia as El Gordito de Oro (The Golden Fat Man).