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

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

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

A tight match and an effort 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, a tight one. Both teams barely shot on goal and we were looking for something else, we came here to win. We couldn’t achieve it.”

Madelón emphasized that the team ran, didn’t suffer any scares and that the game was balanced, though 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 team’s playmaking and the performance of Palacios and Del Blanco, the coach agreed with the analysis and explained his decisions: “I totally agree. It’s not that they played badly, but they weren’t at their best. They made a big effort and that’s where we made changes. I think we lost the flanks.”

It was precisely from a cross from the wing that the play which decided the match came: “It came from a cross from the side, right next to their bench, and that’s where the goal was.”

The substitutions and the blow of the goal against

Madelón explained that the substitutions were intended to refresh the team when the score was still tied: “The match was extremely even. I wanted Misa and Grella to come in well, like the other day. But the goal came right away and that’s when the nerves and imprecision appeared.”

The coach insisted that it was a match with very few clear chances, decided by the opponent’s effectiveness: “They were practical: a headed goal and we were left with nothing.”

Did the physical aspect play a role?

When asked about the string of matches and travel, Madelón was blunt: “I don’t focus on fatigue. We traveled well, we slept well. I think it was a match that was destined to end 0-0.”

He did admit the psychological weight of the moment, but without making excuses: “The mental burden may have played a part, but I don’t think it was a physical issue.”

Set pieces, a detail that hurts again

The coach acknowledged that the defeat came once again from a specific play, 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. That can’t happen to us anymore.”

Without dodging responsibility, 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. There were only hints and that 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 lets you move forward quickly. On Friday we have a rematch on a nice pitch, against a big club that plays well and is tough. That’s an important test for us.”

Unión will have to make corrections quickly, regain its prominence and adjust details if it wants to avoid these steps backward 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.