In the final play of the match, Ñublense tied the game against Universidad Católica, leaving Cruzados on the brink of elimination from the Copa de la Liga. With one round of group stage matches remaining, Diablos Rojos have a three-point lead over the students. Daniel Garnero's team does not have control of their own fate in terms of reaching the semifinals. Following the disappointing draw, the Argentine coach was self-critical in analyzing the course of the game.
"We didn't know how to manage the game. We had control, we created opportunities, but we lacked clarity and precision. We made technical errors that prevented us from finishing the plays well, and unfortunately, that affects the players' morale," he said at the post-match press conference.
"When things aren't working internally, you have to look for alternatives from the outside or take advantage of the players' abilities, but today we lacked that freshness to close out the game," he added.
When asked about Jhojan Valencia, one of the few bright spots of the match at Claro Arena, who had to leave the game due to a physical issue, Garnero replied: "It was a severe muscle strain. I was concerned because he's not a player who usually asks for assistance, but fortunately, it seems to be a muscle issue that shouldn't get any worse."
He also addressed the sending-off of Matías Palavecino. Following a reckless foul on Jovany Campusano, the VAR review and the referee, José Cabero, determined that the play warranted a red card, before halftime. According to…
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In the final play of the match, Ñublense tied the game against Universidad Católica, leaving the "Cruzados" on the verge of being eliminated from the Copa de la Liga. With one round of group stage matches remaining, "Los Diablos Rojos" have a three-point lead over the "estudiantiles" (students). Daniel Garnero's team does not have control of their own fate in terms of reaching the semifinals. After the bitter draw, the Argentine coach was self-critical when analyzing the development of the match. "We didn't know how to manage the game. We had control, we created chances, but we lacked clarity and precision. We made technical errors that prevented us from finishing the plays well, and that, unfortunately, affects the players' morale," he said at the post-match press conference. "When things aren't working internally, you have to look for alternatives or take advantage of the players' abilities, but today we lacked that freshness to close out the game," he added. When asked about the situation of Jhojan Valencia, one of the few bright spots of the day at the Claro Arena, who left the game with a physical discomfort, Garnero replied: "It was a strong muscle strain, I was worried because he's not a player who asks for assistance, but luckily it seems to be a muscle issue that shouldn't get worse." He also addressed the expulsion of Matías Palavecino. Resulting from a harsh foul on Jovany Campusano, the VAR review and the decision of the central referee, José Cabero, determined that the play warranted a red card, before halftime. According to Garnero's perspective, the former Coquimbo Unido player did not intend to commit a foul on the Chillán player: "He didn't want to go in to make contact; it's a contact resulting from the inertia of the play, but the referee made his decision." Finally, the coach took the opportunity to reflect on the number of matches and whether he believes that Universidad Católica is feeling the strain of playing every three days. "It's not an excuse, but the lack of space to train and fine-tune details is taking its toll," he declared. "It's a time when there are many tournaments, and we must adapt. We cannot allow the schedule to overwhelm us. We have to learn to close out these matches because our goal is to compete at the highest level in all instances," he concluded.