POST-GAME
Bruno Lage regretted the draw (1-1) recorded by Benfica on the trip to the AVS pitch, in a match in the 14th round of the Liga Betclic played this Sunday, December 15, at the Estádio for Clube Desportivo das Aves, assuming that the eagles “were not able to control the game” in the last minutes of the game. The coach recalled: “It is important to finish the State Championship in 1st place.”
Aware of the production of the collective in the 1st part, which contains “it could have been 0-2”Bruno Lage, speaking in the quick interview area after the meeting, explained what was the cornerstone of a a result that did not match what “the team did for 60 minutes”.
“It was such a shame, because we had a very good first half. We started very well, we got to 0-1, we could have done 0-2 in the first half. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Then, in the last 15/10 minutes, we couldn’t control the game, we couldn’t have the ball, we couldn’t explore the width and keep possession of the ball in the opponent’s half, and that is a pity. , in the last play of the challenge, AVS reaches a draw. Our objective was to win the game, we had the ambition, especially because, some time ago, we started to set the goal to shorten the distance to 1st place. We had the opportunity to reach Natal on the 1st day [sem depender de outros resultados]. The most important thing for us is to continue our work and to reach the end and be 1st, that’s the bottom line. We knew this State Championship winning streak could end one day, but it was a shame, especially given what we did in 60 minutes.“, these.
Bruno Lage, before answering the journalists’ questions at a press conference, also emphasized that the winner of the National Championship will only be defined in the “last rounds”, explaining his point of view.
2ND GOAL SCORED IN 1ST HALF
“We had a good start to the game, a good 1st half. We were winning more at half time. I wouldn’t say so much in the second half though, only in the 20/25 minutes of the game, we didn’t have the ability controlling the game, trying to continue exploring the spaces that the opponent gave us and then we allowed the equaliser. [na 2.ª parte]. We felt that the hardest thing to do was the scoring first. We had to continue to be aggressive to attack deep, we are fast attacking deep. We created several opportunities to score the second goal. We didn’t succeed in the 1st half. Our ambition and what we communicated to the players was to continue this ambition to get the second goal quickly, as we have done in the vast majority of games. We didn’t do it. Even with the substitutes, we couldn’t do it. [Objetivo na 2.ª parte?] The team should continue to show off and look for ways to score, as we did in the 1st half. Basically that. AVS continued to give us the same spaces. We could… but we couldn’t. At a certain point, we went to the bench to replace some players that we felt were already spent. Then we had a moment when we controlled the ball again, when we were a little more solid in the middle, with the arrival of Tino [Florentino] and Benjamin [Rollheiser]but, unfortunately, we were not able to create the opportunities. Our ambition was to achieve the second goal. We couldn’t, and we conceded a goal at the end. I tried to find ways to try to score the second goal. I couldn’t do it either, from the bench, so we’re very sorry for this two-point loss.”
OBJECTIVE FINISHED IN 1ST PLACE
“We have to look forward now, because we had an objective – also because our opponent had lost points – to reach Natal in 1st place. It was an objective from the moment Sporting lost points. We will not be able to to do that. [sem depender de outros resultados]. Then we have the game with Sport, but the most important thing is to get to March, to be able to be close to 1st, or 1st, and then we have the 200 meters… this is a long marathon . We have to be ready to play until the end, because, depending on the calendar – we have SC Braga and Sporting in the last games, in May – this Championship will be decided at the end. A decision will not be made by Christmas, in December, in March. It will be decided at the end, and we have to work, accumulate as many points as possible, to reach the final stretch in 1st place, so I have huge confidence in this squad and I think that this squad belongs to we will finish. in 1st place. The objectives are very clear, and there has always been a balance. I can only jump and freak out in the air when we win by four or seven – as we did recently – and I can’t stick my head in the sand when, unfortunately, we let two points slip away. We have a long way to go, I have said time and time again that there is a long way to go. I think the team can improve a lot, and the most important point is that we reach the end and be 1st. And, I say again, I want to reaffirm here the complete confidence I have in all my athletes, and I feel that with them we will be champions.”
