Leonardo Madelón self-critical: "We weren’t the Unión I like" | OneFootball

The defeat against Central Córdoba in Santiago del Estero left more concerns than certainties for Unión. The team clearly took a step back in its performance, suffered its second consecutive loss outside of Santa Fe in the Torneo Apertura, and once again paid dearly for a detail in a set piece.

After the match, Leonardo Madelón spoke at a conference and was self-critical, although he sought to downplay the drama of the result.

A closed match and a search that wasn't enough

The red-and-white coach analyzed the development of the game and rejected an extreme view of the performance: “It was a 0-0 match, closed. We both barely shot at the goal, and we were looking for something else, to come and win the match. We couldn't achieve it.”

Madelón emphasized that the team ran, did not suffer scares and that the match was balanced, although he acknowledged shortcomings with the ball: “We were very imprecise. In the last 30 meters, we didn't do things well. I am responsible for improving this.”

Asked about the game creation and the performance of Palacios and Del Blanco, the coach agreed with the analysis and explained his decisions: “I fully agree. It's not that they played badly, but they weren't at their peak level. They made a great effort, and that's where we changed. I think we lost the flanks.”

It was precisely from a cross from the wing that the play defining the match came: “It comes from a side cross, next to their bench, and that's where the goal is.”

The changes and the blow of the goal against

Madelón explained that the changes were intended to refresh the team when the score was still zero: “The match was super even. I wanted Misa and Grella to come in well, like the other day. But then the goal comes quickly, and that's when nervousness and imprecision appear.”

The coach insisted that it was a match with very few clear situations, resolved by the opponent's effectiveness: “It was practical: a header goal and we were left with nothing.”

Did the physical aspect influence?

Faced with questions about the series of matches and travels, Madelón was blunt: “I don't emphasize fatigue. We traveled well, we slept well. I think it was a match that was going to end in zero.”

He did admit the psychological weight of the moment, but without making excuses: “The mental load might have weighed, but I don't think it was due to the physical aspect.”

The set piece, a detail that hurts again

The coach acknowledged that the defeat came again from a specific action, something he had already warned about beforehand: “I said it before the match: we had to be very careful and not commit fouls near the area. We lost it on a set piece. It must not happen to us again.”

Without dodging responsibilities, Madelón was clear both internally and externally: “We weren't the Unión I like. I wanted to see another team, more proactive, more determined to score. They were insinuations, and it wasn't enough.”

Looking quickly ahead

Despite the blow, the coach left a message of immediate reaction: “The good thing about football is that it allows you to quickly move forward. On Friday, we have a rematch on a nice field, against a big club that plays well and is tough. There, an important test awaits us.”

Unión will have to correct quickly, regain prominence, and adjust details if they want to prevent these steps back from becoming a trend at the start of the Apertura.

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