Rui Vitoria, the head coach of the UAE's Al-Wasl, commented on his side's defeat to Saudi Arabia's Al-Qadsiah by a score of (1-2) on Monday evening at Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, in the first round of the league phase of the AFC Champions League Elite.
Vitoria said during the post-match press conference: "We produced a good, balanced performance in the first half, and we were organised, but we were not effective going forward. In the second half, Al-Qadsiah capitalised on our mistakes and scored two goals, before our team improved and managed to score a late goal, but time was not on our side to grab the equaliser. I am content with the performance, but I am not satisfied with the result."
Asked whether a lapse in concentration explained the two goals Al-Wasl conceded in quick succession after the break, he said: "Al-Qadsiah were very organised, and they tried to make the most of the chances they got and succeeded in doing so. We could have been more focused and not allowed two consecutive goals to be scored. But unfortunately, our awakening came late in the match, we managed only one goal, and we were unable to come back into the result."
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Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, walked away happy with Al-Qadsiah's continental opener. The Al-Qadsiah boss stressed that beating Al-Wasl marked an important step in the club's first Asian appearance.
Rodgers said during the press conference: "We started on the right track, and we secured the win in the Asian opener. We are satisfied with what we have produced in the league and the King's Cup of Asia, and with rest and improved conditions, we will perform better."
He pointed to the difficult circumstances his side had faced across their recent fixtures: "We played three matches in a tight time frame, and in high temperatures and humidity. After all these conditions we went through and the pressure of the matches, it was important for us to come away with a win today in the continental opener, then get some rest and review everything that happened."
On his decision to shuffle the line-up, Rodgers said: "We tried to carry out a relative rotation of the players, and to bring in around five names from the local players. It was important to give some players rest, and we achieved the most important thing, which is the win, and this is an excellent step in the first Asian appearance."
Managing his players' physical loads over the weeks ahead will be key, the English coach stressed: "I will carry out the necessary rotation, and we have players who have been through significant physical strain."
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He singled out Quiñones as an example: "Quiñones played until the advanced stages of the World Cup, and joined us after around three weeks, and played in all the matches, and today he came off suffering from exhaustion and showing signs of an injury."
Asked how Al-Qadsiah would use the break after nine matches in a single month, Rodgers made clear that rest would come first. "There will be an important rest for us, and some will leave for rest during the break, and after that we can step up the pace of preparation," he said.
Al-Qadsiah's head coach added: "After all this pressure, everyone must get enough rest. Our players are not machines, and they need rest and rotation too, and it was important to handle the pressure of the match schedule in the appropriate manner."
Rodgers signed off by underlining that his side had banked the most important prize at the start of their Asian journey: the three points. The break, he noted, would let the squad recharge and prepare better for what lies ahead.
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