Andrade downplays the draw and predicts better days
Coach believes Flamengo will secure qualification with an away win
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
Had Flamengo beaten Universidad de Chile this Thursday (08.04), they would have taken the lead in their group standings in the Copa Santander Libertadores and come very close to a spot in the next round. But since the "if" doesn't count, the team, which only drew with the Chileans, will have to chase the points lost away from home.
Such responsibility does not scare coach Andrade, who counts on the group's experience and will to win the match against Universidad Católica, next Wednesday (14.04). The red-black commander, even sad with the result, prefers to praise the good match played by the team, especially in the second half.
"Today's game had a bitter taste. What was supposed to be a historic comeback ended up being a disappointment. We had everything in hand, and through a careless moment, a moment of inattention, we conceded a goal at the end. This happens in football, but we didn't deserve it. We know that a win would have practically guaranteed us qualification. But there's no point in saying we missed this, that we made a mistake. We have time to make up for lost time. We'll go after the result against Universidad Católica," said Andrade confidently.
And while Flamengo will face Católica in a final, the other Chilean team in the group, Universidad de Chile, will play another away match against Caracas. Knowing how difficult it is to play in the Venezuelan capital, Andrade has already begun to dry up.
"The next round will be a decisive one for all the teams in the group. We have to win in Chile, but Universidad de Chile, who are in first place, play away against Caracas. They also need a good result. We'll travel thinking about doing our part, which is winning, and rooting against them. If we confirm this mindset, taking home the three points, we'll practically confirm our first place in the group," he said, analyzing Thursday's game.
"In the first half, we created chances, but couldn't finish. In the second, with Mezenga coming on, we continued to control the game and finished more. In the second half, Bruno didn't make a single save. They had one shot, in the 46th minute, and tied the game. If we hadn't messed up, we would have won."
Besides the draw, another point was below expectations, according to the red-and-black coach. Due to a postponement and a schedule change, fans were unable to fill the Maracanã stadium.
"The only bad thing about this postponement was the lack of fans. We have to thank everyone who came to support us. However, if it weren't for the rain, we probably would have had a full house," he concluded.
Such responsibility does not scare coach Andrade, who counts on the group's experience and will to win the match against Universidad Católica, next Wednesday (14.04). The red-black commander, even sad with the result, prefers to praise the good match played by the team, especially in the second half.
"Today's game had a bitter taste. What was supposed to be a historic comeback ended up being a disappointment. We had everything in hand, and through a careless moment, a moment of inattention, we conceded a goal at the end. This happens in football, but we didn't deserve it. We know that a win would have practically guaranteed us qualification. But there's no point in saying we missed this, that we made a mistake. We have time to make up for lost time. We'll go after the result against Universidad Católica," said Andrade confidently.
And while Flamengo will face Católica in a final, the other Chilean team in the group, Universidad de Chile, will play another away match against Caracas. Knowing how difficult it is to play in the Venezuelan capital, Andrade has already begun to dry up.
"The next round will be a decisive one for all the teams in the group. We have to win in Chile, but Universidad de Chile, who are in first place, play away against Caracas. They also need a good result. We'll travel thinking about doing our part, which is winning, and rooting against them. If we confirm this mindset, taking home the three points, we'll practically confirm our first place in the group," he said, analyzing Thursday's game.
"In the first half, we created chances, but couldn't finish. In the second, with Mezenga coming on, we continued to control the game and finished more. In the second half, Bruno didn't make a single save. They had one shot, in the 46th minute, and tied the game. If we hadn't messed up, we would have won."
Besides the draw, another point was below expectations, according to the red-and-black coach. Due to a postponement and a schedule change, fans were unable to fill the Maracanã stadium.
"The only bad thing about this postponement was the lack of fans. We have to thank everyone who came to support us. However, if it weren't for the rain, we probably would have had a full house," he concluded.