Venezuela beats Italy and will face the USA in its first World Classic final

In a thrilling and historic game, Venezuela defeated unbeaten Italy 4-2 in Miami to qualify for its first World Baseball Classic final, where the host and one of the favorites, the United States, awaits which secured qualification to the deciding game after dispatching the Dominican Republic on Sunday.

The tricolor team, which trailed by two runs until the fourth inning, began to turn the game around with a home run by Eugenio Suárez and completed the comeback with a three-run rally in the seventh inning that unleashed frenzy among the 35,000 fans present at LoanDepot Park, which was packed with Venezuelans.

Venezuela, whose best result was a third place in 2009, will face the U.S. hosts on Tuesday in the final, in a particular socio-political context between the two countries, as the former Chavista dictator, Nicolás Maduro, was deposed last January 3 in a U.S. military operation ordered by President Donald Trump. According to recent polls, the vast majority of Venezuelans backed the U.S. decision to capture Maduro and to get involved in the country's political transition.

"My country needs that victory tomorrow," said one of Venezuela's stars Ronald Acuna Jr., one of the big drivers of the comeback along with Maikel Garcia, Venezuela's most solid hitter in the tournament.

"The United States has a great team and so do we, we'll see what happens tomorrow," added Acuña Jr.

The Venezuelan reaction in the seventh inning put an end to Italy's fantastic tournament, which got into the semifinals after defeating powerhouses of the sport - such as Mexico, USA and Puerto Rico -with a roster made up almost entirely of American-born players and led by a Venezuelan manager, Francisco Cervelli.

La Azzurri, however, were unable this time to overcome a Venezuela side that had already rallied from a three-run deficit in its historic quarterfinal win over Japan, the reigning champion and one-time top favorite to win the title. As against Japan, this time the Venezuelan relievers were also very important, not allowing any more runs from Italy after the second inning.

The victory against the Japanese gave the Vinotinto its first Olympic qualification for the Los Angeles Games in 2028, but did not satisfy the ambition of a team full of Major League All-Stars who will now seek eternal glory against the American team.

Donald Trump's reaction

After the Venezuelan qualification, President Donald Trump launched a message on the social network Truth where he seemed to congratulate Venezuela for its pass to the final and also joked about the incorporation of the country as the potential 51st U.S. state, a message that he has also dedicated to Canada and Greenland.

"Wow! Venezuela defeated Italy tonight, 4-2, in the WBC (Baseball!) Semifinal. They are looking really great. Good things are happening to Venezuela lately! I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?" said Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire for Venezuela to achieve a successful political transition after several decades of socialism.