Matías Rocha dreams at Unión: “Main aim is Copa place” | OneFootball

Matías Rocha arrived at Unión to strengthen the back line and quickly began to take on a bigger role. The Uruguayan defender, signed from Arouca in Portugal, has already made himself available to Leonardo Madelón and even got his first minutes in the top flight wearing the red-and-white jersey.

In an interview with Unión Play, the club’s official program, Rocha spoke about his first few weeks in Santa Fe and especially highlighted the welcome he received within the squad.

“The group is wonderful. A very healthy group, very supportive, and there are also a lot of young guys coming through,” said the defender, who quickly settled into a squad with a strong presence of young players.

Rocha also sounded optimistic about the team’s potential and said Unión has what it takes to compete. “I think this is a group that has everything we need to compete. Obviously, there are tough matches, but it’s a group that can compete,” he said.

Rocha’s objective at Unión

The Uruguayan defender did not hide his ambitions for this stage of his career and quickly set his sights on international tournaments. “I think that nowadays the main thing is to qualify for an international cup to get started. After that, obviously, we’ll aim for something else,” he said.

In this way, Rocha made it clear that his arrival at Unión is linked not only to his intention of establishing himself in Argentine football, but also to his desire to achieve important goals with the team.

Madelón’s demands

The center-back also revealed what Leonardo Madelón asked of him from the moment he arrived and highlighted a trait he considers essential for playing in that position.

“He told me: ‘Here I’m going to ask you to be more aggressive, that if you have to hit, you hit’,” Rocha said.

He added: “I like players like that, strong players who defend. In the center-back position, the first thing you have to do is defend.”

Adapting to Argentine football was another topic the Uruguayan addressed. He found similarities with his experience in Portugal, although he also pointed out important differences.

“I’ve only been here for three weeks, but it’s similar. Still, the pace here is different. More physical and more technical as well,” he said.

Rocha arrived in Portuguese football after an experience that allowed him to face some of the biggest teams in Europe. “You go to the sixth most important league in Europe and play against teams like Porto, Benfica, Sporting, Braga, the big clubs. Before you know it, you’re competing on equal footing with those players,” he explained.

A competitive defender

When describing himself as a player, Rocha emphasized his competitive spirit and his desire to contribute both defensively and in possession.

“I’m a player who never gives anything up, more than anything else. I’m very competitive. I really like the ball, I really like to play, and I like contributing whatever I can from a technical and tactical standpoint. And then, obviously, there’s the defensive side too,” he said.

With only a few weeks at the club and his first minutes already under his belt, the Uruguayan is looking to establish himself as an important defensive option for Madelón.

The dream of wearing La Celeste

Finally, Rocha revealed one of his biggest personal goals: one day making it to the Uruguay national team. “If you ask me, what I want most is to be able to wear that shirt one day. I truly dream about it,” he admitted.

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