The veteran UNAM fullback believes his team did not arrive strong at the Concacaf Final against the Sounders due to lack of support in the league
The Pumas are still licking their wounds from the lost final of the Concacaf Champions League against the Seattle Sounders last Wednesday, the auriazules recognize that they were clearly outplayed on the field, but also point out that they would have liked to have support from the Liga MX so as not to arrive at the final with such a heavy load of games in their legs. This is what UNAM defender Efraín Velarde said in an exclusive interview with ESPN.
"It's not an excuse but I think that the game load accumulated a lot, the whole tournament has been very intense for us and as you mentioned, the schedule punished us in some way because of so many matches in a row, unlike Seattle where everything was planned for them to be as best as possible and tackle the tone in the best way, especially the final where even the league gave them permission not to play their weekend match but these are situations that are beyond our control and hopefully everything can always be arranged for the benefit of Mexican football."
On the other hand, "El Chispa" denied that losing the Concacaf final means that MLS has surpassed Liga MX, he also affirmed that the mockery for losing Mexico's hegemony in Concacaf does not affect the group.
"It's an endless debate, the United States did not qualify for the last World Cup and that doesn't mean they are below or above, I think the comment comes from a very result-oriented perception, the MLS has grown a lot and we all know it, it is a first-world country and it will continue to grow and that debate, I think, is a discussion that never ends, from my point of view, Mexican football is still very competitive, I believe it is still one step ahead, but these are results that happen and situations that occur, it is true that the MLS has grown a lot and maybe we get carried away by the recent results which at the end of the day is what counts, but from my point of view, Mexican football is still very competitive," Velarde pointed out to ESPN.
The Pumas will face Chivas in the repechage round on the weekend and although they recognize that they arrive emotionally damaged, they point out that it will not be an excuse to not fight for a spot in the playoffs.
"That's how football is, it's about falling and getting up, what we experienced today was one of the toughest blows, but that doesn't mean that we won't compete on Sunday, we are professionals and we have to represent Pumas in the best possible way on Sunday, try to have an intelligent game, with a lot of responsibility and above all, try to achieve the result we want to be in the big party," said Velarde.
VELARDE CALLS FOR LILINI'S CONTINUITY FOR A LONG TIME
On the other hand, the UNAM academy product hopes that Andrés Lilini renews soon as Pumas' coach because he sees him as the ideal coach for the club.
"It would be very good for the institution and it has been proven that since he took charge, he is the coach with the most time in a single team in Mexican football, we know that long-term projects always bear fruit, I think time is needed and that is what is least available in Mexican football because we all want quick results and institutions fight for many things, so it would be very positive to continue respecting that process and hopefully, for the good of Pumas and Mexican football, long-term projects grow so that results come in a better way," said Velarde.
The cats trained on Friday afternoon with the absence of Alan Mozo and it is practically a fact that he will not play in the repechage against the Rebaño Sagrado.