Chivas defeated Forge FC 3-1 in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League. Despite this, Guadalajara coach, Fernando Gago, acknowledged that the team is still in formation and that he is not 100% satisfied.
“Regarding the match, it was very good. It's very good, because we played it the way we wanted. I think we had two errors from a positional perspective of what we wanted to look for, which was their first goal. Where we had shown a certain sequence of things that could happen and we could not correct it, it was a mistake. It was a very complete match. We understood that we had to play a game, where we had to have possession, where we had to play and from that, maintain the pace of the game as we were looking for,” he acknowledged at a press conference.
In addition, he added to the topic about the opportunity that young soccer players, such as Ricardo Marín, among others, are receiving.
“I said it from day one, I trust all the players. I see them in training, I don't need to see them in the game. What I say, I say, because I really feel it, because I see it in training. That some players have had to play now and I told the players and I have repeated it in conferences, the team started and another team will end up playing there. Because here the competition is day by day and everyone earns their place in weekly training and from that, I trust all the players who are on the squad.”
One more to the list 📋
Leonardo Sepúlveda became the EIGHTH debut of the #ChivasDeHierro ⚔️
May it be the beginning of a long journey with the Red and White, 'Leo'! 👏 pic.twitter.com/nlkJ5CwMww
— CHIVAS (@Chivas) February 8, 2024
“We are a team that is in formation. We are growing every game and that is what we are looking for.”
– Fernando Gago
Finally, the red and white strategist spoke about the star signing, Cade Cowell, who has been seen at a good level, but without a fixed position.
“From a football perspective, from what I want from a position of playing as a winger to a position of playing as a nine, which has less responsibility in some aspects that we look for. So, I was looking for him to adapt from the physical, from the football aspect. Today He has played as a winger, but almost as a nine as well. I have played him more in one position, to try to find that depth that he can achieve. And yes, obviously it is important for him, because he is a boy who has arrived recently, “He needs to adapt to the team. He comes without doing a preseason, we were already started, so; it is important for him.”
Chivas will host Forge FC for the return leg on Tuesday, February 13 at 9:00 pm local time to close the key and hope to advance to the next phase.
#Gago39s #brutal #selfcriticism #winning #Forge
