Following our clash in Calgary, Head Coach Diego Mejía and midfielder Gabriel Antinoro spoke to the media, calling for patience as Atlético's new roster continues to improve.
Read all the quotes below...
Diego Mejía (Head Coach):
On generating more scoring opportunities:
Possession is the way that I choose to play, but it's not possession for the sake of possession. It's the way I choose to create opportunities. That never changes, here in Canada or Mexico, it's the way I feel the game. We are on a pathway, I'm looking for a new model that the players feel more comfortable [with]. It's normal to start like this. We changed half the roster, so it's normal. I'm happy with the way my team competes. We need to work more and have more time with the new players to create something special.
On playing Crampton over Innocent:
This team is a completely different team in the Canadian Premier League. We have a purpose, and then we win. We win because we have a purpose. One of our purposes is to develop young players. Tristan is our second goalkeeper; our first goalkeeper was injured, so Tristan deserves to play. It's normal that he commits a mistake, so don't worry about that. The only way for a player to get experience is to play games; that's it. If we need to lose more games, but we're going to create a good career for a goalkeeper, we will pay that price.
Wehaveapurpose,andthenwewin.Wewinbecausewehaveapurpose.Diego Mejia
Gabriel Antinoro (Midfielder) :
On the result and performance of the team:
It's obviously frustrating because we're used to winning and we always want to win. The most important thing for us is how we play. Half the roster has changed, and it takes a while to understand and get into the groove of how we played last year. Even last year, the results came in early, but they weren't where we wanted to be. We have to be patient and work harder.
We know the areas we need to improve. It's always going to be frustrating to lose. We know what we have to do. We have the belief in the system and believe in each other. It's two games into the season, and there are 26 games left. We know we're going to figure it out, we know we have to improve, and we'll be ready for next Sunday.
On Atleti's style of play:
Last season, the way we played, from the outside, it looks like it's easy, but it's not easy. Teams adapt as well, and we won last season, so teams are coming to play us with a different mentality. We've got to be able to figure that out early in the game, but as the coach said, we need to improve everything.
Offensively, we need to create more. We have to make fewer mistakes. We have to play simple. It all comes from believing in the system and from everyone being on the same page. Once that starts, we are all going to be playing better, and the results will start to come.
Peopleontheoutsidedon'tthinkwearegoingtodothesamethingaslastyear,butwereallydon'tcareabouttheoutside.AslongasthepeoplewhoareintheFamily,whoaretogether,believeinthisprocess,weknowwe'regoingtobeokay.Gabriel Antinoro
On not winning the first two games:
Once you play as a Champion, you play with a target on your back. A lot of our team are very young, it was our first championship for a lot os us, and we're not used to that. I think we've understood pretty early how teams are going to want to play against us for the rest of the season. Last year we had some hard moments, and we were able to adapt, so we know we have the capacity to do that. We're going to adapt and stick to the way we play; it'll work out.
People on the outside don't think we are going to do the same thing as last year, but we really don't care about the outside. As long as the people who are in the Family, who are together, believe in this process, we know we're going to be okay.
.jpg)