Player Shows Support for Team

"My idea is to support the team, the decisions are made by the coaching staff, and we have a great squad," said Martínez, referring to being considered a substitute player in Puebla's 4-1 victory over Mazatlán FC last Sunday.

Martínez, a member of Paraguay's national team that reached the finals of the 2015 Copa America and participated in the 2010 and 2014 World Cup qualifiers, played 10 minutes against Mazatlán, enough time to score a goal. However, when addressing the media, he preferred to talk more about the next team's commitment, against Cruz Azul on Friday.

"We are aware of the importance of that match; Cruz Azul won the Copa por México and had an extraordinary tournament before that, so they are the favorites. But we are coming from a positive result. They will be looking for goals, but our defense is solid," he warned.

The Puebla-Cruz Azul match, which will open the second round of the Apertura, is surrounded by expectations because Puebla currently leads the championship, but Cruz Azul hasn't lost a match since January and is going through one of its best moments in many years.

"We hope to have a perfect match; we know what we are up against. We cannot give them the initiative because they have fast players. We must defend well, steal the ball and cause damage when we attack. It will be important to secure the three points on Friday," he commented.

Cruz Azul will be without their offensive leader, Uruguayan Jonathan 'Cabecita' Rodríguez, who is suspended. However, Martínez pointed out that the opponent has a complete squad and has quality forwards to replace the South American.

"'El Cabecita' is going through a good moment, I had him as a teammate at Santos Laguna, and he is an extraordinary player with amazing skills, but there are other very important players in Cruz Azul. We have to be attentive and focused so they don't surprise us," he concluded.