Deportivo Cali did not have a good presentation and ended up drawing 0-0 at home, against a complex rival such as Melgar from Peru, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the 2022 South American Cup, where they will have to get the pass to the next round on Inca soil. Regarding the match, coach Refale Dudamel analyzed what was arranged by his team.
“It is our first game of the season and they are already finishing their tournament, Melgar is a team with a lot of fluidity in their game, with a very well established operation and that we had analyzed. At all times we highlight the ability of the rival and I think that within everything that was the game, I have to recognize the effort made by players like Guillermo Burdisso, Germán Mera, among others, and that being the first game of the season they showed character and that hierarchy to keep the team firm”
He takes into account that he can give more: “to play football and be at these levels you have to have a lot of nerve, character, as well as a good game; we have to strengthen ourselves from those aspects, football-wise nobody disputes the ability of our players, we have a very talented squad, but in adversity we must, have and can be stronger, that the rival works well, we all work for it, but I think that when we don’t have the ball the team gets frustrated and doesn’t enjoy knowing how to defend itself”.
He spoke of the operation in which he said that “we tried to do damage on the wing with the speed of Santiago Mosquera and Yony González, because inside they worked very well with their two interiors and a central midfielder; I understand and share the concern and disagreement of our fans, because they want to see their Cali play a better collective game and in that, we have been tarnished all this time”.
“Then there are characteristics of our soccer players that lead us to seek how to exploit the best of them and today our main characteristic is verticality, speed, in the moments that ‘Teo’ was able to participate we generated some opportunities, but we faced a very good team, that it was noted that he studied us very well, within everything that happened and with the adversity at the end of 9
men, we have taken a 0-0 that leaves the series open for the second leg”, added the Venezuelan coach.
He was questioned about the preparation that the team will have for the return game at altitude: “that does not start tomorrow, the preparation began three weeks ago, which included something similar to what was done to go to La Paz, the The team has physically done a job that serves as the basis for what will be the semester, not precisely for today’s game or at height, it will help us, yes, but also what will be throughout the semester”.
Juan Andres Arias Arias
Correspondent Futbolred Cali
And Twitter: @ AriasJuan_15
