Mexico's Pumas will seek to overcome a heavy handicap against the United States New England Revolution on Wednesday in the second leg of the quarterfinals of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League.
Last week, the National University Pumas took to the snowy court of Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, where the Revolution overtook them 3-0.
“It wasn't a question of the weather, we weren't up to the match. It's a result that hurts me,” said Argentinean Andrés Lillini, technical director of university felines.
For this return commitment, Lillini knows that to achieve the semifinals it will be necessary to “be focused and not go crazy”.
The college felines do not have the best time because the weekend they also lost 2-1 to Cruz Azul in the Mexican league and were stuck in the half table.
To face the return game against the New England Revolution, Lillini appealed to the football they played at home against Costa Rica's Saprissa, rival they defeated 4-1 in the second round of the round of 16 match, and also called on their fans, “whom they trust”, to continue to count on their support.
With one of the most modest squads in Mexican football, the Pumas tend to play important games shrouded in doubt.
- “They have no faith in us” -
“We are always considered defeated, they never have faith in us,” Lillini claimed, but he also expressed confidence in his players: “they are strong for difficult challenges. I don't know if we'll score all three goals, but we're going to win.”
For its part, the New England Revolution will reach this commitment after an uncertain start in the MLS with a draw, a victory and a defeat, the latter the last weekend 3-2 against Real Salt Lake.
Regarding the return game against the Pumas, Bruce Arena, technical director of the Revolution, pointed out that the 3-0 advantage “is very important”.
And although he criticized Concacaf for keeping the away goal as a tie-breaking criterion, Arena believes that this time that rule can benefit them.
“This is a 180-minute match and goals away from home count,” Arena said. “I think Concacaf is one year behind the rest of the world with these things; at home it was important to score goals and not to receive, to play in Mexico City with a little confidence, but it's not going to be easy.”
The match will be played from 8:15pm local (02h15 GMT on Thursday) at the Olympic University Stadium in Mexico City, with a capacity for 58,445 spectators.
Probable lineups
Cougars: Alfredo Talavera, Alan Mozo, Jose Galindo, Arturo Ortiz, Nicolas Freire, Jeronimo Rodriguez, Leonel Lopez, Favio Alvarez, Higor Meritao, Rogerio de Oliveira, Juan Dinenno. DT Andres Lillini.
New England Revolution: Earl Edwards, Brandon Bye, Andrew Farrell, Omar Gonzalez, DeJuan Jones, Matt Polster, Sebastian Lletget, Arnor Traustason, Carles Gil, Adam Buksa, Gustavo Bou. DT. Bruce Arena.
str/ol
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