2024-07-31 12:44:13
Julián Álvarez and Nicolás Otamendi, two of the three senior players of the Argentine U-23 team at the Olympic Games, were optimistic after the 2-0 victory against Ukraine: “We must overcome adversity together, the objective was clear and we achieved it,” and they also said that “It was not the desired start but the objective was achieved.” With this victory, Argentina is now in second place, only behind Morocco and above Iraq and Ukraine.
Asked about the opening defeat against Morocco, Álvarez said: “We started off with a defeat, a lot of anger, we knew how to recover, we became strong. We’re going against whoever we have to face now, all the teams play well, they have their strong points, we try to become stronger with our game and strength.”
For his part, Nicolás Otamendi spoke about the team’s character after the difficult start of the tournament: “The truth is that yes, it was not the desired start but it shows the character of the boys. We did not start in the best form but we grew, the heat made it too difficult, it is very difficult.”
He also stressed the importance of maintaining possession of the ball and confidence: “There are players with good feet and when we lose that, having the ball, we fall back and lose confidence. Beyond that, we have to show the boys that we have to keep going.”
Both players stressed the importance of mentality and teamwork. “It’s a competition in which you sometimes have to suffer, the important thing is to look at each other and suffer but overcome the difficulties together,” said Otamendi.
Álvarez, meanwhile, expressed his satisfaction at sharing moments with the young players: “It’s nice to celebrate with the kids, we try to continue the same as the senior team, it’s nice that people come to support them, to thank them for their affection.”
With this positive and determined attitude, the Argentine U-23 team is preparing to face its next rival, France, with the hope of continuing to advance in the Olympic Games.