Captain exit, ‘illusory’ lead: journalist details Estudiantes | OneFootball

Estudiantes (ARG) has important changes compared to the team that lost to Flamengo last year

By: Pedro Paulo Catonho

Flamengo will return to La Plata. The stage for the thrilling Copa Libertadores quarterfinal clash last year, the city will host another Estudiantes (ARG) vs. Mengão this Wednesday (29), in the third round of Group A. Like the Rubro-Negro, the Argentinians also changed coaches from one year to the next.

To understand all of Estudiantes’ changes, Coluna do Fla spoke with journalist Martín Cabrera, from the La Plata outlet ‘El Día’. The beat reporter highlighted the departures of coach Eduardo Domínguez (now at Atlético-MG) and former captain Santiago Ascacíbar as major losses. In addition, another important member of the squad is still at the club, but ‘mentally elsewhere.’

WHAT WERE ESTUDIANTES’ ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES?

— Besides Domínguez and Ascacíbar, they lost Cristian Medina, who went to Botafogo. Also Román Gómez, who went to Bahia. Santiago Arzamendia left as well, the left-sided player from Paraguay’s national team, who tore his cruciate ligaments and will be out for seven or eight months recovering. Some players arrived: Eros Mancuso, on loan from Fortaleza. Adolfo Gaich also arrived, a striker who came from Russia, but he hasn’t been performing well —, Martín began.

— Tomás Palacios arrived too, a center back on loan from Inter. He’s good. But from midfield forward, there’s nothing different. They are the same players, with the peculiarity that Edwin Cetre, who was a key piece, is in very poor form. He’s struggled after his transfer to Athletico-PR and Boca Juniors fell through. He took it very badly and is not a starter —, he added.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CETRE?

As highlighted by the journalist, Cetre was one of Estudiantes’ key players last year. So much so that he attracted the attention of Boca Juniors and Athletico-PR. In fact, the player even arrived in Curitiba to sign with the Paraná club, but medical exams pointed to problems in his knee and heart, causing the winger to return ‘disheartened’ to the team in La Plata.

DOES LEADING THE ARGENTINE LEAGUE NOT IMPRESS?

Estudiantes lead Group A of the Argentine league, with 28 points from 15 matches. The La Plata club has eight wins, four draws and three losses. Despite being top of the table, the team has not been particularly convincing in the competition, according to Martín Cabrera.

— They are leaders in Argentina, yes, but you have to understand that it’s a very mediocre league. There are two groups of 15 teams, and many teams are at a second-division level. A run of three wins can put you at the top. Domínguez had already left the team at the top. You shouldn’t judge by the table position, at least not in Argentina —, he opined.

HOW DOES ESTUDIANTES PLAY UNDER THE NEW COACH?

In February this year, Eduardo Domínguez resigned from Estudiantes to take over Atlético-MG. In fact, the coach came under pressure in Belo Horizonte after Flamengo’s 4-0 thrashing last Sunday (26), in the Brasileirão.

To replace ‘Barba,’ Estudiantes hired Alexander ‘Cacique’ Medina, formerly of Internacional in Porto Alegre. If under Domínguez the La Plata side was extremely reactive, defensive and waited for opponents’ mistakes, the current reality is a bit different.

— They’re different, it seems to me. Domínguez’s team looked a bit more like the one that played against Flamengo (in last year’s Libertadores). It was a team that at times had greater defensive solidity. This team attacks more; it seems more vertical to me, more offensive under Medina. It is more inclined to make the game happen. Domínguez’s side wasn’t like that. At times it was more inconsistent, but that Domínguez team was extremely effective —, the journalist said.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER POINTS FROM THE INTERVIEW?

Flamengo and Estudiantes de La Plata face off from 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) this Wednesday (29), at Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium. Mengão lead Group A with six points. The Argentinians are second with four. Independiente Medellín (COL), with one, and Cusco (PER), with zero, complete the group. Check out other points from Coluna do Fla’s interview with Martín Cabrera.

MOBILIZATION SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR?

“There isn’t the same level of buzz as last year, not as much expectation, nor the same emotion as the other time. Everything is calmer. Autumn has fully arrived here, it’s cold, and it will be very cold on Wednesday. The temperature has dropped to single digits, nine degrees. We’ll have a sellout crowd, but it’s nothing like the atmosphere from last time.”

DOMÍNGUEZ IS UNDER PRESSURE AT ATLÉTICO-MG. WOULD HE BE WELCOME BACK?

“The press still follows Domínguez, but he is already history. The fans have turned the page on Domínguez. They don’t miss him anymore. And no, I don’t believe it (that he will return one day). I don’t believe he will come back because the directors here were not happy with Domínguez’s departure. From one day to the next. It was like a breakup. It was like when a girlfriend leaves you from one day to the next. I can’t imagine Domínguez back in Estudiantes’ orbit in the short term. Not even if Medina continues like this, as he is now, more or less okay. In Argentina, the playoffs begin in two weeks, which are direct elimination. And the Copa Libertadores match will fall in the middle of some playoff knockout tie.”

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