After the classic that Deportivo Cali lost 0-1 against América at its stadium in Palmaseca, an atypical press conference was held, in which the ‘sugar box’ players appeared minutes before coach Rafael Dudamel to give the expensive, with Michael Ortega and Jhon Vásquez being the spokespersons for the team.
Ortega began the appearance exposing the feeling of the group: “we have come to put our chests to the situation, we know how difficult this result is, we have no words of truth, we have a pity with the fans, but here we are trying to lift, to give face and we will continue on that path. One understands people, but we must continue, we have two long weeks that we are going to like. The teacher has nothing to do with here, that’s why we came.”
He supported the Dudamel process: “I know that people are upset, they are not going to believe, to share these words, but here we are putting our chest to the situation. We support it 100% and that is why we are here, in the second half we arrived and we did not have clarity, we had America subdued, we have to have a little more luck in football, we have to look at that and many people from outside are not giving good energy, but we are holding our heads up and continuing down the road.”
Vásquez also spoke about the game and that it is not the fault of the coach: “this is football, the team gave it its all, América was close with 9 players and the goal did not go in, but we are all here and we are guilty. This is not a coach, we are the ones who go out on the field, we are going to fight until the end and we are not going to give up, we are going to fight and work against all odds”.
Then the Venezuelan coach entered the press room, highlighting the value of his players: “This is an act of professionalism and courage of the players, of going to the press conference before the coach. This has not been just any game, we have lost a classic and we know the meaning it has, the pain it causes all our people and what to say about us. This is a demonstration and I really have to congratulate them, it is not normal to see such a brave group”.
He referred to what happened on the field: “America reached the goal twice, one of them entered and the other hit the post, we had a very good first half within the circumstances of the field, we were clear dominators in the second half . In the 11 against 9 is where we had 10-15 minutes as it should be, then that anguish began to enter that took us away from the lucidity and tranquility to find the best space, to violate a defensive block that was efficient and that in the end that sums it up everything”.
In the end, he stressed that the team lacked calm: “they had the courage to defend themselves like cats upside down. We lacked that calm and lucidity to find the best path. They in their own way as they were presented and we lacked a bit of calm, so as not to collide with that blockade that they formed there, because they were beating us and they had everything against them”.
Juan Andres Arias Arias
Correspondent Futbolred Cali
On Twitter: @AriasJua_15
