abel balbo, during the presentation of the squad in one / edlp
There is less and less to go before the debut due to points against Tigre, in which Estudiantes will try to capture the good feelings generated by a team that has strengthened itself very well from midfield onwards, with returns that excite both indoors and outdoors.
And before this, Abel Balbo made a balance of what was a preparation that began back on December 5 of last year and that culminated on Saturday night with the 2-0 victory against Independiente del Valle, the last champion of the South American Cup.
“The sensations are very good. The team played a very good game, ”he said regarding the victory in“ The Night of the Lion ”. “What gives me the most peace of mind and good hope is that we are playing against a very high-ranking rival. And that our team still has a huge margin to improve ”, he warned. “We still make mistakes in situations and that is normal. We’ve only played three games. Teams become solid and strong through matches. And the one the other day is a game that will help us take a little step forward to correct some other things, ”he completed.
In that match, Santiago Ascacibar’s first with the team, Rusito was placed ahead of Jorge Rodríguez and as a midfielder in the line of three midfielders, behind the two forwards, something that Balbo also referred to, making it clear that this will be his position in Pincha 2023.
“He plays there because we play 4-1-3-2. He presses high and he plays in that position, behind the two wingers”, he stated. “Taking advantage of his ability to recover the ball, I think he will be one of the important weapons for us to be able to steal there and be next to the goal to score the goal”, the coach completed.
Although the match against Independiente del Valle was the best of his in preparation, Balbo is confident that the team can continue to grow, something that will allow him to be a “headache for many”.
“If we manage to close the games to zero, Estudiantes will be a headache for many”
“I hope we continue to improve,” he remarked. “It is important to win. Not because of the importance of the game, but because it allows you to work better. It gives you confidence, ”he stressed about Saturday’s victory. “We are proposing a new idea to the team, a different idea from the one they were used to playing. Is not easy. The change is quite big. It is completely different from how Estudiantes played last year. And that takes a little bit of time,” he clarified. “But I am happy. We still have a lot to improve. There are some players who still need to play. Guy’s case. James himself. They are still far away, because Santiago came playing very little. Guido comes from two months practically without playing. There are several players who are not yet. But when we get to the top, I think we will be a much stronger, more solid team, ”he confided. “A team that will score many goals. I think this team is going to score a lot of goals. He has the facility to create scoring situations and has a hierarchy. We are making normal precision errors at the moment. That’s why the most important part now is to finish with the arc at zero. If we manage to close the games to zero this year, I think that Estudiantes will be a headache for many, ”he analyzed.
For this, Balbo and his coaching staff understand that the role of references is essential. And Estudiantes has several on a campus that the DT describes as “very competitive.”
“I think we have a very competitive team. I am very happy with the team that Estudiantes put in my hands. This gives me great joy and naturally gives me a sense of great responsibility. I believe that we can achieve important things, ”he said before referring to the role of those who must lead the way for the youngest.
“We are going to be competitive and we are going to be up there until the end”
“I am lucky to have role models who are an example for the youngest. For a coach, having references that are positive, good references, that are examples, that gives you a good or bad direction, ”he considered. “References for me are fundamental. They are the ones that help you build a great team or that make a team a disaster. Thank God we have very good ones, ”he indicated.
The idea of the current coaching staff is quite different from the previous one, so Balbo understands that the adaptation process is going to take a while longer.
“We play different. We attack with a lot of people. Which also implies having a very short team”, explained the former striker of the Argentine National Team. “I use defensive rules that are very precise and that still have to be oiled. For example, contact marking within the area. When there is equality or numerical superiority, the man must be marked. And in the goal that Peñarol scored against us, it was three against one and it got away from us, ”he recalled. “But it is normal for it to happen, this is going to take time. And when they begin to grasp these types of rules, the defensive phase will become more and more solid. It will be better. And then we are going to score the goal because we have the facility to score goals ”, he completed.
Beyond the names and the desire to fight, the coach does not contemplate the word failure.
“I don’t like it,” he clarified. “Anyway, when you work well and do things well, you can talk about a bad result. Failure is a word that does not correspond to me, ”she continued. “I think I have a great opportunity to have a very competitive team. We have three competitions that I think are going to be difficult, but I think we have the chances. It is my mentality. The first thing I thought when they told me that I had the chance to come to Estudiantes was that I was going to lead a team where I was going to be able to win something. It’s my way of thinking. I am a very competitive person and very optimistic,” he added. “I think we have a team to fight everything. We can win it like no. But that we are going to be competitive and we are going to be up there until the end, I am convinced of that ”, he concluded.
