Guillermo Barros Schelotto's irony after Vélez's two disallowed goals in the Libertadores series against Racing: "We were efficient."
Guillermo Barros Schelotto seemed more serene than usual. He accepted the elimination against Racing in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals and congratulated his opponent. But he had a subtle irony at the press conference when asked about his goalscorers' lack of finishing. " We were efficient," he replied with a hint of a smile. He later clarified that he didn't see Imanol Machuca's disallowed goal because the iPad they had on the bench wasn't working. "If it was a goal, it would have had a strong impact on everyone, on the fans and the players, but obviously it didn't go in. I think it didn't go in because VAR determined it."
It was the only moment in which the coach deviated from his script and made it clear that in Liniers the VAR disallowed Aaron Quirós ' goal because it noticed that the ball went out of play after Maher Carrizo 's corner kick, and that in Avellaneda, he intervened to tell the Uruguayan referee Esteban Ostojich that goalkeeper Facundo Cambeses had prevented the ball from completely crossing the goal line.
Could you see the play, Melli? Guillermo Barros Schelotto commented on Vélez's goal disallowed by VAR against Racing.
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After the final whistle, he sought calm. He sat on the substitutes' bench for a moment, then stood up and went to the center of the field to chat with goalkeeper Facundo Cambeses. They were probably words of encouragement and congratulations, as the goalkeeper was seen saying thank you several times. Afterward, he greeted several opponents, some affectionately, and when he approached the Vélez players, he said something of resignation: "It's over."
In Racing's press conference, the coach analyzed the quarterfinal tie. "We've played good matches in the Copa Libertadores. We've tried to play attacking football, searching for results, pushing forward, but we came up against an opponent who marked us and pressured us well. Even at home, when we were a man down, we managed to make it look less noticeable. There are many positives beyond the elimination, and we have to continue like this in the future," he emphasized.
THIS IMAGE IS UNMISSABLE: Guillermo Barros Schelotto went to find the referees and stood there staring at them...
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El Mellizo acknowledged that it wasn't a good first half, that Racing managed to make the match physical, choppy, and that the team couldn't impose its game except for the first 20 minutes of the second half. "It was an even tie. Well, Racing won. We wish them the best and congratulate them."
After the match, already in the locker room, Guillermo said he spoke with the players, who were sad and lamented the situation. He wished luck to Maher Carrizo and Tobías Andrada, who are going to the U-20 World Cup with the Argentine youth team, and that the rest should follow the same path, like the coaching staff. He also confessed that he complained to the fourth official that Gabriel Rojas' full-back, just before the goal, had scored "10 meters too far." He also stated: "We're going to continue with the commitment we've had since we arrived. We couldn't do it in the Cup, and now we're going to try to reach the final in the Clausura tournament." Vélez is third behind Deportivo Riestra and has the same number of points as River. On Monday, they will play at home against Atlético Tucumán.
"I THINK THE BACK-IN MADE IT 10 METERS FURTHER." Guillermo Barros Schelotto commented on the move that led to Racing's goal.
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Finally, he left a clear message for everyone: the players, the managers, and especially the fans. “I took over the team at the beginning of the year after eight games, we hadn't won, we hadn't scored any goals. We have to keep winning games and keep Vélez at the top.”
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