Domínguez: Estudiantes kept Flamengo quiet, time to go again | OneFootball

Estudiantes came close to achieving a heroic feat against Flamengo after defeating them 1-0 in the 90 minutes, but the penalty shootout saw an outstanding Agustín Rossi, who ultimately secured the Brazilian team's place in the Copa Libertadores semifinals. After the match, Pincha’s coach, Eduardo Domínguez, praised his players’ effort, emphasized that they managed to level the series despite the difference in quality, and, after stating that they now have to go for the title in the Clausura, was clear: “Let the anger and pain pass, and let’s keep trying.”

“Against the opponent’s superior quality, the series ended tied. I think what we did is very valuable, with many chances to increase the score. We were close, but now we’re left with that pain. What do we do with the pain? Let’s hope it becomes the fuel to keep growing, because if we want to compete again next year, we have to go for the title. There’s no other option, because we’re very far behind in points. Let the pain and anger pass, and let’s keep trying,” reflected Domínguez in the post-match press conference.

The truth is that the team from La Plata is 11 points away from the qualifying spots for the Copa Libertadores in the annual standings. That, combined with their elimination from the Copa Argentina, leaves them with only the Clausura Tournament as a path to get back into the continental tournament in 2026.

“We only have that tournament left and we have to go for it. If we face it with the mentality and enthusiasm of representing our institution in this way, we’ll be close. That’s the path the players have shown,” he added.

Nevertheless, Domínguez celebrated his players’ attitude and the way they approached a series that became difficult after the first leg, but which, in his view, was also uneven in terms of quality: “With the big differences in speed, experience, and quality of the opponent, we managed to tie them down for a long time. They barely had any chances to score, and we had several.”

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