Cuca pinpoints where Santos lost out to Atlético-MG in the Sula | OneFootball

Cuca left Arena MRV, in Belo Horizonte, believing that Santos paid dearly for its poor start. After winning the first leg 2-0, the team lost 4-2 in regular time and was ultimately eliminated on penalties from the Copa Sudamericana.

In the coach’s view, the goal conceded just 18 seconds in completely changed the course of the match. Santos then had to play under pressure and struggled to contain Atlético-MG during the first half.

“We started the game very badly. In less than a minute, we conceded a goal. It becomes a different game. We took 25 minutes to understand it. We conceded the second, and we scored ours. It was supposed to be 2-1 going into the dressing room. And then we conceded the third goal. Another cross almost inside the six-yard box,” he said.

Santos still managed to score in the first half and kept the tie open. In the second half, however, Cuca made changes to alter the team’s behavior. The coach felt the substitutions worked and highlighted the attitude shown by the squad.

Coach praises second-half response

The Santos side came back more aggressive after the break, started controlling possession, and created chances to score again. The second goal came during that response, but Santos ended up conceding again in the final minutes.

“We made the necessary changes for the second half. The team came back with personality, confidence, maturity, and pinned Galo back. We created countless chances, we scored. Atlético had five shots and scored four goals. It’s a shame about the good second half we played,” he said.

Cuca laments late goal

For Cuca, the decisive problem appeared precisely when Santos had already managed to organize its defensive structure. The team was playing with a back line of five defenders and a defensive midfielder when it conceded the fourth goal.

“We conceded the goal when we were well set up with a back five, plus a holding midfielder. We conceded from a preventable play and ended up eliminated. The game was under control. It was 47 minutes in. Unlike the home game, which was a different situation,” he explained before concluding:

“I think some players felt the weight of the game. Maybe their own inexperience. It’s different (the synthetic pitch). We can’t deny that. The opponent has a certain advantage from knowing the field. That’s unquestionable. Maybe that’s why we conceded so early.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.