Malcorra after defeat: “We spoke to Leo and played better” | OneFootball

Unión's stumble against Talleres left a very bitter taste in the squad for a number of 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 off and the VAR chose not to review.

The captain’s complaint about Unsain’s foul

At the end of the match, the Tatengue player spoke firmly about that play to justify his complaint: “It was a penalty because he kicked me. I have the mark on my ankle.” Malcorra also revealed that players from the Córdoba side themselves admitted there was contact, arguing that the blow happened regardless of intent as he tried to get around the keeper: “I poke it past him to avoid him and shoot, but he hits me. I felt the contact.” The captain protested the play several times while waiting for a correction from the technology that never came.

Self-criticism over the opening performance

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

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Reaction after the break and the final blow

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

Unfortunately, Talleres’ second goal cooled Unión’s comeback just as they were at their best. Even so, the team went after the opposition goal and pulled one back late on, although there was not enough time to rescue a point. For the midfielder, it is 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, absences in the squad, and versatility

Regarding the team’s ups and downs and the youth of the squad, Malcorra praised the group’s competitive character, 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 impact of the absences, especially that of top scorer Cristian Tarragona. While he stressed the striker’s quality, he preferred to appeal to the commitment of those who step onto the field: “Obviously Tarragona is extremely 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.