Cruzeiro coach signs summary as physical trainer, and assistant regrets lost chances | cruise

It was up to Moisés Moura, Cruzeiro’s assistant, to explain the 0-0 draw with Unión La Calera, in Concepción, Chile. He signed the summary as a coach, due to Seabra not having the license required by Conmebol to perform his role in the game. The coach remained at the edge of the field, but, in the official match document, he appeared as a physical trainer. Moisés regretted the mistakes the team made in the first half, when they were superior to the Chileans.

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In fact, Cruzeiro was better in the first half, making the opponent practically unable to go beyond midfield with possession. Barreal hit the post, but the clearest opportunity was with Rafael Elias, who wasted a chance inside the small area. For Moisés, the advantage on the scoreboard would open new paths for the Brazilian team to explore.

– I believe that, if we had taken better advantage of our chances in the first half, the game would have changed, and we wouldn’t be here talking about the issue of the result. Their team was going to open up more, and that’s what football is all about: being effective.

“If we took advantage of our chances in the first half, the game would be different in the second half.”

In the final stage, the assistant admits that Cruzeiro had difficulty containing the aerial ball and made the opponent’s defensive work easier, prioritizing direct connections.

– We lost a little balance, it became a direct game, which made it easier for the opposing team. On set pieces, of course, they created some problems, but we knew that. Other than that, we had no problems with defensive organization. Football is results.

Moisés also cited physical exhaustion as something to be considered when evaluating Cruzeiro’s performance in Chile. For this match, the technical committee made five changes to the starting lineup, placing Zé Ivaldo, Gasolina, Cifuentes, Vital and Barreal in place of Neris, William, Lucas Silva, Ramiro and Arthur Gomes.

– It’s a lot of wear and tear. We know that this doesn’t have to be an excuse, but, unfortunately, that’s what happens. (…) There is the issue of travel, it takes a lot of effort. We had several players who needed a little more rest, due to traveling and thinking about Sunday’s game. It’s turning the key.

So far, Cruzeiro’s journey in Conmebol Sul-Americana has been marked by stumbles against modest teams. La Calera is the runner-up in Chileno and has not yet won at home this year. Alianza, with whom the celestial team drew 3-3 at Mineirão, is also in second-to-last place at Colombiano.

Asked about this situation, Moisés considers that teams enter competitions where they have qualification conditions differently.

– I don’t think it’s a normal result. Cruzeiro is huge, we know the whole story, we can’t leave it aside. Naturally, it has a greater weight for the opponent, who is able to qualify. We know that the local competition is one, and the international competition is very important. This is left aside in these games.