This Tuesday at the Atanasio Girardot, in Medellín, the press conference was held prior to the first leg of the Liga Betplay I-2022 in between National Athletic y Sports Tolima. The technician Hernan Torres and the captain Julian Quinones they referred to what was done by the red wine and gold and analyzed the rival, whom they valued line by line. They did not hide their concern for the rival they will have in front.
Hernán Torres, DT of Sports Tolima
“The (Jeison) Lucumí thing was difficult last night because in full concentration they gave him the news that his grandmother had died. It cost him a lot and he had to leave to be in Cali at her funeral, the decision will be made by him depending on how he feels , tomorrow at noon we will have the decision of whether or not he can be there”.
“This is another game, it’s another new story. Both they and we want to win the final. It’s a new game and we want to build it in our favor, we can’t let go.”
“Nacional is in the final because they have done things well and have been well, they have made important points with Professor Herrera. I am worried about everything, their defensive part, the offensive, it is a homogeneous and strong group, I am worried about Pabón, Duque and Moreno, they have all their people ready. We all know Nacional’s ability, their coach has been a tireless worker and it’s not going to be easy”.
“The success of what Tolima has achieved is teamwork. It is a committed human group and it is not an easy path in football. Tolima is achieving it with the sacrifice of the players, the coaching staff and the administrative part. They want to overcome adversity because football has a difficult path, but the main manager of all this is God”.
“It’s going to be a party tomorrow. This stadium is used to those experiences and the fans are going to fill the stadium, as is normal, just as our people are going to support us on Sunday in Ibagué. Here everyone bids for win, we hope that people behave well and that they go to enjoy football. We as artists are going to give our best so that the show turns out beautiful”.
“What Nacional has shown is that it has gained a balance and by characteristic and ideology it has had that of being offensive, but Professor Herrera has applied that theme of order without the ball, of being well positioned and being more balanced. They are worried about attack but also when they lose the ball to build the figure. Playing with Nacional is not easy, so we hope to counteract them”.
“I have directed very good teams and I cannot say that Tolima is the best because I would be underestimating Millonarios, América, Medellín, Melgar and Costa Rica (…) This is a very good group, excellent, with players who play with pain, that they are injured and they get to play and respond, it is a commitment, as long as they are able to stop, they do it. They do not take their bodies out of situations”.
“Nacional has grown since the last time we played. This is a more balanced, more solid and stronger team. It has very important players, so wherever you look at it, it has many strengths”.
Julián Quiñones, captain of Deportes Tolima
“We are a very orderly and serious team, that we distribute the tasks very well on the field of play and suddenly that is the statistic. These are two different games and intelligence and concentration are more important. We cannot keep what we get the less defeated hurdle but if we don’t get it out now in the final, what was done in the tournament is useless. The most important thing is to get it out now in the final against a great rival like Nacional”.
“In the physical part I am fully recovered and the last decision is up to the teacher (…) We are going through the best moment in the institution and we are enjoying it to the fullest. We come from playing finals in a row and that makes the issue easier for assimilate this type of situations and scenarios like the Atanasio. The elders of the team transmit that to the young people who suddenly have not had that possibility, we are working together”.
“Like Nacional, we rode a good tournament and we are both favorites. We are not as favorites as the previous one, but we are stronger than four years ago. We have been doing things very well and it is no secret to anyone what Nacional represents by its people, its tradition and its history, but with the work we have done in recent years we have to stand up to it”.
“Nacional is one with Giovanni Moreno and another with (Jefferson) Duque. Suddenly when Giovanni is there he plays a false 9 and tries to back down to generate play and Duque is more 9 as such. Regardless of that, we know of Nacional’s power with Dorlan, ‘Rifle’ (Andrade), Mantilla and Jarlan, but we’ve already seen videos and we’re working on that, but it’s us on the pitch who must make the decisions to counteract what the rival proposes.”
“We have had a lot of away results and we didn’t have some good ones at home, so it is understood that we are visitors than home, but we are a team that proposes the same regardless of the scenario. We have been lucky to get good results, so We hope to get it again.”
