Sambueza Proud Of Estudiantes' Accomplishments

Estudiantes Tecos were not able to reach the group phase of Copa Libertadores but getting as far as they did was still an accomplishment to enjoy, Rubens Sambueza said.

Feb 4, 2010 11:45:00 AM

More On :  Tecos UAG
Pedro Ascoy - Juan Aurich (Mexsport)
Since Juan Aurich went into Zapopan needing only a draw, or even a one-goal loss, to advance to the group stage of Copa Libertadores, the club did well to sit back and take advantage of their counterattacks.

So summed up Estudiantes' Rubens Sambueza, who said the Peruvians played their cards well. Juan Aurich beat Estudiantes 2-1 in Mexico and advanced to Copa Libertadores' group stage.
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"The field did not help," Sambueza told reporters after the match. "But it was the same for both teams. They just took advantage of their counterattacks."

Rain poured down on Zapopan for days before the match, and during the game the action went on despite buckets of water raining on Estadio 3 de Marzo.

Sambueza said the rain caught him a bit off guard, even though the rain had been steadily coming down for more than 24 hours before the match.

"I did not expect those sorts of conditions," Sambueza said. "But the field withstood a lot of that and was able to handle the rain."

Asked what his team could have done better, Sambueza said a bit more focus might have helped.

"We needed to have been more concentrated. They had two scoring chances, one in the first half and the other in the second half. And both of those were goals," Sambueza said. "We could not defend well on those plays."


Thus, Estudiantes' strong play during InterLiga and the dramatic moments that tournament produced are over and ultimately did not translate into any long-lasting success. But the players said they were proud of their accomplishment.

"This is a painful loss but we leave with our heads held high," Sambueza said.

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