“These players represent me, and I have no doubt that great things will happen with them.” – Gabriel Milito | OneFootball

I’m very happy at Chivas. The more time goes by, the happier I feel and the more represented I feel by this team and these players. Hopefully this Leagues Cup will be a great adventure for us. It won’t be easy, but we’ll give it our all. I’m happy to be competing in this tournament again because I’m proud to belong to Chivas.” This team plays the way I like. They play with maximum intensity, exactly how we want to and how we’re capable of doing it.” It’s true that we’ve created many chances and scored very few goals. We haven’t been as clinical as we’d like, but that doesn’t worry me because it’s easier to regain that finishing touch than it is to recover the level of football we’re playing.” If you look at the statistics of how many times we’ve won the ball back in the opponent’s half, the numbers are very positive. With the players we have, I like us to control possession. We’re on the right track, although there’s always room for improvement. This team and these players represent me, and I have no doubt that great things will happen with them.”

What matters to me is that we give everything and hold nothing back. We’re a team that likes to press high and win the ball in the opponent’s half. That means we take risks by playing with a high defensive line, but that’s the way we feel comfortable playing.” Tomorrow’s match is one we have to win because of the tournament format, and that’s the mentality we’ll take into the game.” I respect everyone’s opinion. We focus on what happens internally. What I don’t like is when the team is criticized unfairly. I will always defend my players when that happens.” I analyze results because I want to win, but I also analyze performances. Many times, if Chivas draws two matches in a row, a lot of noise is created around the team. I don’t see it that way. A coach’s analysis is very different.”

These tournaments feature different teams, but football is always about the same principles. Our intentions never change. MLS has players with great quality and tremendous physical strength. In Mexico there’s more emphasis on possession, while MLS adds that physical component.” We saw that in our first match against LAFC, and tomorrow, although FC Dallas is a different team with different characteristics, it will also be a great match. They won their opener, and we need to win, so it will be a very intense game.” MLS continues to improve every year and has become increasingly competitive. If it keeps moving in this direction, it still has room to grow even more.”

José Castillo won’t be available. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to play in this match and possibly not in the last one either. Everyone else is available. We’ll need plenty of freshness because Dallas has outstanding players and very powerful forwards, so we’ll have to play with the same intensity and passion we showed in our previous match.”

It’s a pleasure to have our fans with us. Their support always gives us an extra boost, and this time will be no different. We always feel backed by our supporters, and hopefully we can win and deliver a great performance for the people who expect so much from us.”

After the World Cup, everyone was excited about football and looking forward to the league starting again. I think the way we’re playing, with our desire and intensity, is bringing that excitement back to our fans.” MLS still has plenty of room to grow. You can constantly see the quality of the players they bring in, and they also know how to make the most of playing at home. We have to keep showing the style of football we’ve been playing.” The expectation at Chivas is always to be at the top, to fight for every match and every tournament. We’ve known that since the day we arrived, and that’s exactly what we’ve been working toward.”

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