Santos Laguna will face Guadalajara this Wednesday in a friendly match at Estadio HEB Park in Edimburg, Texas, starting at 20:30 hours.
Both teams will take advantage of the FIFA International Break and aim to use their full squad in an attractive match for the southern United States public.
"We have to do our job, continue to demonstrate what we are made of, and ultimately, on the field is where we must show who we are and what we are worth."
Both coach Robert Dant Siboldi and Matías Almeyda bring their starters to take full advantage of this friendly match and arrive in good form for their next match in the Liga MX.
Before traveling, right-back Javier Abella commented that it is a good time to take advantage of this break.
"We have had many consecutive matches, so the weeks become short and with very few training sessions. Normally, after the matches, it was all about recovery and we had little time to work on tactics. So, these two weeks are good for us to be able to work and arrive at the Atlas match in the best possible way."
"For those of us who have had more playing time, it helps us to maintain our rhythm. For those who have played less, it's an opportunity to show that they are at a very good level and to continue demonstrating good performance. Whether they play or not, we have a well-established style of play and we have to keep working based on that."
He indicated that they must also take advantage of this break to correct certain aspects in which they have not been precise. "One thing that we have to improve is concentration in the first few minutes of the match. We have suffered goals in the early minutes of matches, and that can cost us elimination in the playoffs. So, we have to work a lot on that."
Abella does not feel pressure because they are close to qualifying and are among the top teams. He said, "We don't see it that way, but it is motivating to finish as leaders. That's what we fight for, that's why we work."
In regards to the little importance given to Santos' leadership nationally, Javier mentioned that normally the teams from the capital, the so-called "big teams," receive more attention in the news.
Abella explained that the change that Santos has undergone from one tournament to another is due to the coach's treatment.
"I think it helps a lot and it is very productive that he always takes care of the person's side. He forgets a bit that we are players, treats us as individuals, and gives us our place in that sense. He and his coaching staff help create a good atmosphere in the dressing room so that the team is competitive and in good shape."
On another note, the Santos full-back believes that Santos should have more players called up to the national team because "we have been doing things well, there are players in great form, and sometimes Santos doesn't hog the limelight as it should. That leads us to work and show what we are capable of," he pointed out.
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