Statements by the coach of Estrella da Amadora after the defeat (2-0) at home to Benfica, in the second round of the tournament.
the game: “We took very positive things. The result is just the result of what we’re doing. Our player was injured by a Benfica player and in the second injury, we adapted. We lost some toughness, which prevented us from fighting until the end. For the three points. We wanted to compete on equal terms with Benfica “We wanted to get the ball, press high and defend very well. Benfica’s shots were all controlled, with good saves from Bruno Brigido, but from long range. Arthur Cabral’s chance came after Ronald’s counter-attacked shot. Other times, we couldn’t get More ball, because of our own responsibility. Strategically, we were a little less than we wanted, but we felt there were moments that made us proud. With less, because Mansour was there for the walk and he was a warrior, we dominated Benfica with the ball. If we lost, we went looking for The result, we had the ball at times and that makes me proud on an individual and collective level.”
Difficulties: “Last year, we were training on synthetics, covering kilometers in the Lisbon area, overcoming obstacles, and this year, we continue with these difficulties. It’s different to train on this type of court and the players don’t train. Our boss has you doing a basic job, it’s crucial. To restructure, but the training conditions are precarious.
behavior: “With the same conditions as Benfica, in the first half we had more ball and better chances, but the passes and combinations failed and that has an explanation. The situation was excellent, Benfica’s moments of danger were transitional moments in spaces. We detected when we rose to press. The credit always goes to the winner. If I was on the other side, I’d like to win in another way, more convincingly, without letting the opponent breathe. This didn’t happen. We don’t want to act like a small team. When Portuguese football is ready to be contested by all teams, I think the winner is football and the fans Thus, the value of Portuguese teams increases, even in European competitions. And so far we have put in a great performance that reflects the value in Portugal…”
The evolution of Portuguese football: “The conditions in which we are preparing are undeniable. A plane pilot cannot train in planes or play with drones. This is something that happens and is real. If we want to improve the quality of small and medium-sized teams, so that the presentation is better, the institutions that organize football in Portugal should look at that as well. If we want to not be just the big three or four performing in Europe, we have to look at the other teams and try to understand. More preparation.”
