Malcorra after defeat: “After the break, we spoke to Leo and improved” | OneFootball

Unión’s stumble against Talleres left a very bitter taste in the squad for different reasons. The focus of the controversy came in the first half, when Ignacio Malcorra went down in the opposition box after a challenge with goalkeeper Ezequiel Unsain; a play the midfielder claimed was a foul, but referee Nazareno Arasa waved away and the VAR chose not to review.

The captain’s complaint over Unsain’s foul

At the end of the match, the Unión player spoke firmly about that play to back up his complaint: “It was a penalty because he kicked me. I’ve got the mark on my ankle.” Malcorra also revealed that Talleres’ own players admitted there was contact, arguing that the blow happened regardless of intent as he tried to get past the goalkeeper: “I poke it past him to avoid him and shoot, but he hits me. I felt the contact.” The captain protested the play for several stretches, waiting for a correction from the technology that never came.

Self-criticism over the early performance

Even so, the midfielder did not rely solely on the refereeing to explain the result. He openly acknowledged that Unión looked shaky in the opening period and suffered because of the opponent’s play: “They moved the ball well and we struggled a bit with the pressing.” In that same line of analysis, he was blunt about those first 45 minutes: “The first half wasn’t good for us.”

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Second-half reaction and the final blow

In his view, the strategy worked on during the week could not be carried out on the pitch. The outlook changed in the second half, when Unión pushed up and controlled the game better: “After halftime we changed, we spoke with Leo, pushed our lines forward and played better. We had the ball and the chances.”

Unfortunately, Talleres’ second goal cooled Unión’s comeback just when they were at their best. Even so, the team kept pushing forward and pulled one back late on, although there was not enough time left to rescue a point. For the midfielder, it is now time to turn the page quickly: “We’re leaving very angry because the idea was to win, but we have to learn from our mistakes and try to win now at home.”

Youth, squad absences, and versatility

Regarding the team’s ups and downs and the youth of the squad, Malcorra praised the group’s competitive spirit, although he admitted they still need to become more consistent: “I think the team is doing very well, it’s always in the game. Despite the disadvantages, we had the result there at the end. It’s a shame we didn’t know how to take advantage of it.”

He also referred to the weight of the absences, especially that of top scorer Cristian Tarragona. While he highlighted the striker’s importance, he preferred to appeal to the commitment of those who step onto the pitch: “Obviously Tarragona is hugely important. He’s our top scorer and he’s in great form. But today we should have shown more out on the field.”

Lastly, regarding his tactical role in the system, the player reiterated his total willingness to do whatever the coach asks:

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