Sunday, October 13, 2024
Álvaro Morata stood up for Luis de la Fuente in the press conference prior to the match between Spain and Denmark and the coach returned his affection for his captain a day later, despite the fact that the Madrid native did not find the goal. «For me Morata outstanding. He lacked the goal, he had two or three chances, but he gave us a lot of depth and support movements when the match required. “It is very complete and very important for us,” the Riojan recalled after the meeting.
He also had words of praise for the scorer of the goal that decided the match, Zubimendi, who also faced a revalidation without Rodri’s net. «Martín already knows that he is a safe asset, he always remains calm and plays with great discretion. After the break we improved and I don’t know if it was because we all did it or if it was him,” he said.
The coach drew the positive aspect of a match in which his team improved noticeably after the break, after a somewhat difficult first half. «I was not angry, because this is a team that I am proud of in all circumstances. We needed to handle the ball with more speed, faster, and we achieved it in the second half. The changes have given us more energy and the team felt more comfortable. The matches last 90 minutes and there is alternation,” he explained in this sense.
«The matches have to be worked on. I would like to spend the 90 minutes dominating and generating chances, but it is not possible, especially against a rival as powerful as Denmark. In the alternations this team behaves very well and the variety of resources makes it a solvent and safe team,” he stressed.
Another of those praised by De la Fuente was Porro, capable of replacing a pillar like Carvajal with maximum guarantees. «Pedro is a footballer we have always counted on, but at other times we had Dani (Carvajal) and Jesús (Navas) in very good moments. As I said the other day, in times like these of injuries, an opportunity opens up for people who take advantage of it, like he did today,” he concluded.