Cruz Azul's Villa: This Team Does Not Depend On Anyone

Cruz Azul star Emanuel Villa said la Maquina has more than just one or two dependable players.

Dec 1, 2009 12:17:19 AM

More On :  Cruz Azul
Emanuel Villa - Cruz Azul (Mexsport)
Cruz Azul have several outstanding talents on their squad as the club prepares for a semifinal matchup against Morelia.

La Maquina are led by Emanuel Villa, who led the league with 17 goals, the resurgent Jaime Lozano and captain Gerardo Torrado.

But the club does not rely on any of them, Villa assured.

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"What's going on in the playoffs lets us know that this team does not depend on anyone," Villa said in a press conference. "A lot of times you hear or read that Cruz Azul depends on myself or Jaime and we're showing that in reality this team does not depend on any one player because we all contribute."

Cruz Azul scored seven goals in their series against Puebla, but Villa accounted for exactly zero of them. Lozano, a set-piece specialist, missed the second leg but the club still scored two of their three goals on set pieces.

What matters more than individual talents, Villa said, is how the team performs and the pressure the club puts on opponents.

"The most important thing that the team has done is that the team has been the highest-scoring team in the regular season, scored seven goals in two playoff games so this team has shown that it can be a menace for others," Villa said. "We always look to attack from the first moment, so it's something for everyone else to worry about."


Cruz Azul will visit Morelia and try to put them on their heels on Wednesday. La Maquina are within reach of the final once more as the club played and lost in both the Clausura and Apertura finals in 2008.

Having set such a high bar for themselves, Villa said winning the league title with Cruz Azul would be a lofty accomplishment, particularly for what it would mean to the club.

"For me it would be an honor. Since I got here I've taken on the responsibility of representing this institution as it deserves," Villa said. "We all said our only objective was to win the title. Now we're in the semifinals and we're getting there."

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