Malcorra after defeat: “Second half, we changed, spoke with Leo, improved” | OneFootball

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

The captain’s complaint over Unsain’s foul

At the end of the match, the Unión player firmly referred to that play to justify his complaint: “It was a penalty because he kicked me. I’ve got the mark on my ankle.” Malcorra also revealed that the Córdoba side’s own players admitted there was contact, arguing that the blow happened regardless of intent as he tried to get around the keeper: “I poked it past him to avoid him and shoot, but he hit me. I felt the contact.” The captain protested the play repeatedly, hoping for a correction from the technology that never came.

Self-criticism over the early performance

However, the midfielder did not rely solely on the refereeing to explain the result. He openly acknowledged that Unión was off its game in the first half and struggled against the opponent’s play: “They moved the ball well and we struggled a bit with the press.” In that same vein, he was blunt about those first 45 minutes: “The first half was not good for us.”

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Reaction in the second half and the final blow

In his view, the strategy worked on during the week could not be carried out on the field. The outlook changed in the second half, when Unión pushed higher up and took better control of the match: “After halftime we changed, we spoke with Leo, pushed the lines up, and played better. We had the ball and created the chances.”

Unfortunately, Talleres’ second goal cooled Unión’s momentum at its best moment. Even so, the team kept pushing forward and managed to pull one back near the end, although time ran out before they could salvage a point. For the midfielder, the team now has to turn the page quickly: “We’re leaving very frustrated because the idea was to win, but we have to learn from our mistakes and try to win at home now.”

Youth, absences in the squad, and versatility

Regarding the team’s ups and downs and the squad’s youth, Malcorra praised the group’s competitive character, although he admitted consistency still needs work: “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 stressed the striker’s importance, he preferred to appeal to the commitment of those who take the field: “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.