Decisive in qualification, Veiga celebrates start at América: "I'm pleased" | OneFootball

Raphael Veiga has had a positive start at América-MEX. With an assist on Wednesday night, he was decisive in the Mexican team's draw against Philadelphia Union, securing the team's qualification for the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions League. The former Palmeiras player celebrated his performance in his first matches and highlighted the club's effort to sign him.

“Things have been happening quickly, and I’m pleased to be able to repay the trust the club and coaching staff have placed in me and my football. América made a great effort to bring me here and, from my very first days, they have shown a lot of respect and affection for me and my family. Yesterday, we had another very tough match, as expected, but we managed to overcome Philadelphia Union and advance to the next round. Now, we’ll have another tough duel with Nashville and we need to adjust a few things for this next encounter,” said Veiga.

With a spot secured among the top eight teams in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the team already knows who their opponent will be in the next stage of the continental competition. Their adversary will be Nashville, who eliminated Inter Miami, Lionel Messi’s team, after two draws: 0-0 at home and 1-1 away. Having scored an away goal, coach Callaghan’s team came out on top.

Direct clash

After securing a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals, Raphael Veiga and América now turn their attention to the Mexican Championship. After 11 matches in the national league, the team has 17 points and sits in seventh place in the standings. Next Sunday, the club faces a major challenge: the classic against Pumas, away from home, in the 12th round of the tournament. Their opponent, in fact, is a direct rival in the standings, as they are in fifth place with 20 points.

“The Mexican Championship is similar to the Brazilian one. There’s a lot of competitiveness in every round and no easy matches. On Sunday, we’ll have another very tough commitment, a classic, against a team that’s been playing well and is a bit ahead of us in the standings. We need to rest our bodies and minds well after this exhausting qualification so we can take the field on Sunday with a lot of intensity,” he concluded.

Veiga’s numbers

Just 41 days after making his debut for América, Raphael Veiga has already scored three goals and provided three assists in 10 matches for the club.

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