It wasn't the night they expected.Universitario de Deporteshad their first loss in the2023 Copa Sudamericana, after losing 1-0 to Goiás at Da Serrinha stadium. Although they lost the leadership ofgroup Gwith this defeat, the team still has possibilities to qualify for the round of 16, a fact highlighted by goalkeeperJosé Carvallo.
Upon his arrival at Jorge Chávez airport in Lima, the Universitario player analyzed the match and admitted that "losing is always frustrating. Definitely, a balanced match, where I think a draw was fair, but sometimes these things happen. A goal decided the result, but we still depend on ourselves. The team gave their best, which leaves you with peace of mind."
He also pointed out that they still have chances to continue in the tournament, as they are currently in second place in the group with 7 points, one less than Goiás. "It wasn't the result we came to get, but the important thing is that there are two more dates left in the Sudamericana, and we depend on ourselves. We continue with all our faith, it's intact, with all the hope of being able to qualify," he explained.
One detail that couldn't be overlooked was the fight that took place in the hallways of the Brazilian stadium, where they were attacked with pepper spray. "Unfortunately, there was an incident with someone out of line, a player, I wasn't there, I had already entered, but I was told that he started celebrating his victory in front of the guys who were passing by, and that's when everything started," Carvallo told the media.
"You can win, but you have to know how to do it and be respectful to your opponent. He did that and a reaction occurred, then the ball boys came to throw things and in the end the police used -as you saw in the video- the pepper spray, which practically threw it in our faces, not in the air, but directly at us. These things happen in Brazil, unfortunately," he added.
Finally, he referred to the next challenge the team has, this time in the Peruvian championship. "Now we focus on the local tournament, which is a complicated match, always difficult in Cajamarca, so from now on we rest, concentrate, and think about the match on Sunday."
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