Kenji Cabrera on his definition of penalty in Melgar's classification: "I felt very confident"

On the night of Thursday, August 11th, Melgar proved to be a team ready for great challenges. The 'Dominó', under the direction of Pablo Lavallén, won the penalty shootout against Internacional de Porto Alegre , thus securing their spot in the semifinals of the Copa Sudamericana . However, there are some players who stood out for their great performance during the 90 minutes and when it came to taking their penalty in the decisive shootout, Kenji Cabrera was one of the most acclaimed by the 'rojinegra' fans.

"The truth is that it was a very difficult match, but thanks to God and all my teammates, we were able to achieve it. I felt very confident to take the penalty and I decided to take it. Luckily, everything went well," said the 19-year-old player to the cameras of Movistar Deportes.

Similarly, Cabrera was asked about the decision he made in the penalty shootout. As we know, the midfielder was the first player from 'Dominó' to take a shot in the decisive shootout. "Before taking the shot, I already felt very confident. I knew I was going to score and I went with determination. I wasn't intimidated by the goalkeeper," he added.

It is necessary to mention that Kenji is an attacking midfielder born in Shiga, Japan, on January 27, 2003. In 2021, he was signed by Melgar after a outstanding spell at Club Esther Grande de Bentín and, at his young age, he has been able to earn a leading role under the current coach Pablo Lavallén, who considers him for both local and international matches.

Melgar vs. I. del Valle: date and time of the Copa Sudamericana semifinals

Melgar will have to visit Independiente del Valle next Wednesday, August 31st at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium in Ecuador, while on Wednesday, September 7th, they will host the northerners at the Monumental stadium in UNSA, Arequipa.

As confirmed by the organizers, both the match to be played in the Ecuadorian venue and the one to be held in Incan lands will begin at 5:15 pm (Peruvian time), with a full crowd expected at both stadiums.

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