Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Eduardo Coudet, Internacional’s passionate and animated Argentinian coach, was visibly upset by the team’s elimination from the semi-finals of the Conmebol Libertadores. After the
2-1 defeat to Fluminense
at Beira-Rio, Coudet couldn’t find the words to express his disappointment, which was in stark contrast to his typically talkative nature.
Coudet admitted that he couldn’t believe what had happened on the pitch. The two goals conceded by Internacional in the space of six minutes were very painful, especially given the numerous missed opportunities to secure victory.
“We closed off the space to prevent Fluminense from creating chances and we tried to mark them. Then we allowed Fluminense to have the ball, but we didn’t take any risks. We had at least five clear chances to close out the game. We adjusted our defensive lines to exploit Valencia’s speed. I still can’t understand how we lost that game and couldn’t finish our chances“, lamented Coudet.
The Argentine coach acknowledged that his only objective in signing for Internacional was to win the club’s third continental championship. Clearly discouraged, he reiterated his frustration at the semi-final defeat, not only for the fans, but also for the team itself.
“Until their goal, we weren’t facing many dangerous situations. It’s simply a lot of pain and anger at the disappointment of the fans and ourselves. They brought me here with the hope of winning the Libertadores. It took a lot to get to that stage. That’s all I can say at the moment“, added Coudet.
With the Libertadores dream now extinguished, Coudet faces the challenge of getting his team together and regrouping. Internacional will shift their focus to the Brasileirão, where they will concentrate their efforts. The Gauchos’ next fixture is the eagerly awaited Gre-Nal 440, scheduled for Sunday at 4pm. This match is of significant importance in the 26th round of the Brazilian championship, and Internacional will be eager to bounce back from the Libertadores disappointment with a good performance.